May 2018 Archives

New York , New York (May 29, 2018) On May 27 2018, ABC news published previously sealed video evidence from Mark Myrie's 2010 trial on drug-related charges. This excerpt of old surveillance footage was leaked to the internet just as Myrie, known to music lovers as Buju Banton, is preparing to return home after nearly a decade behind bars.

The timing of the ABC report raises many important questions: What purpose does this report serve? Why unseal this dated footage now, when Myrie is preparing to resume his life and career? And finally, why did a American news network that has previously shown little interest in Buju Banton's life and career choose to run a lengthy article that omits crucial and readily available information about the case against Mark Myrie?

"Mark is a warrior," says Attorney David Oscar Markus, who represented Myrie as he defended himself. "He fought two trials and numerous appeals against a system that included a corrupt juror. He could've taken a deal after the first hung trial that would've sent him home, but Mark's philosophy was: better to fight on your feet than live on your knees."

Buju Banton's Managment team thanks everyone who has reached out with words of support for the artist. The facts of the case are a matter of public record and we trust that responsible journalists will make sure that the full story is told. Buju has learned from the past and made peace with the court's decision. For now his focus is on the future: returning to his family, recording music for his fans and making a positive contribution to society. For everyone who is unable to offer any words of support we ask that you please allow the artist to continue his journey of redemption in peace and harmony as he works to rebuild his life and career.

The North-American-based JetBlue Airways is confirmed as one of the premium sponsors of Reggae Sumfest 2018. Joe Bogdanovich, DownSound Entertainment (DSE) CEO, who acquired the Sumfest Brand in 2016 welcomes the addition of JetBlue to the raft of sponsors. "The fact that JetBlue, an overseas based company, recognizes the value of the Reggae Sumfest Brand on the global scene clearly demonstrates its growth in influence and importance over its history. Jamaican music, since the 1960s, with the emergence of icons such as Bob Marley, Toots Hibbert, and Jimmy Cliff, has not only captured the imagination of numerous people across the globe but has been integral to the mushrooming of Brand Jamaica. Reggae Sumfest is, perhaps, the most influential vehicle to leverage and sustain Brand Jamaica and further promote the island and its music", Mr. Bogdanovich said.

Mr Sepp Donahower, Director Global Marketing for DSE, shared that, "Jet Blue is the official and exclusive Airline Partner for Reggae Sumfest 2018, and will be the presenting sponsor for the Live Stream of Reggae Sumfest 2018 on all DSE platforms. Since acquisition of Reggae Sumfest in 2016, DSE has been engaged in bringing world class high production Live Streaming and Video content of Reggae Sumfest to the world with ever expanding reach, on multiple streaming and broadcast platforms. In 2017 during festival week, Reggae Sumfest had over 1,250,000 views watching the Live Stream and uploaded videos." Reggae Sumfest for 2018 is expected to continue this explosive streaming and viewing growth, which brought Jet Blue in as a presenting partner for the stream. Fans will be able to access the Live Stream for 2018 through the Live Streaming page on the reggaesumfest.com website." But, as Bogdanovich points out, "there is nothing that can replace the energy and excitement of being at Catherine Hall live".

Past festivals and videos can be viewed on the YouTube channel "Reggae Sumfest Live Streaming & Video.

JetBlue, on the other hand, is elated to take part in Reggae Sumfest and will be working with Reggae Sumfest and the Jamaica Tourist Board to give away hotel and air ticket inclusive packages for two lucky winners to come to the festival from the United States. Additionally, plans are in place for a joint promotion locally to give away tickets to the festival.

"As the official airline partner of Reggae Sumfest, we are thrilled to be a part of this extraordinary event that promotes Jamaican culture and brings people together through their love of music. Reggae Sumfest is a great opportunity to showcase Jamaica as the relevant destination that it is, while also benefitting its tourism industry and local economy", stated Giselle Cortes, Director of International Airports and Commercial. "JetBlue strives to support the communities we serve by providing our customers, business partners and crew members with outstanding experiences such as this one", she added.

JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 40 million customers a year to 102 cities in the US,Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of 1,000 daily flights. For more information please visit jetblue.com.

"We are very proud of what we have been able to achieve in the past two years. We built on the firm foundation laid by the Summerfest Team and it is our intention to grow the festival further. In keeping with that objective, we are offering patrons more and more each year", Mr Bogdanovich said.

Garth Henriques, the father of international reggae star, Sean Paul, passed away on Thursday after spending over two months in hospital battling from an ailment.

The artiste, whose real name is Sean Paul Francis Henriques, updated fans on Twitter: "With deep regret, I announce the passing of my father, Garth Henriques," tweeted Sean Paul."On behalf of our family, I wish to thank everyone who has offered their kind words and sincere condolences in this time of bereavement. I wish to extend my appreciation to the doctors, nurses and medical team at the University Hospital of the West Indies, and many fan, friends and family who donated blood and offered good wishes." Last month, he reported that his father was in the intensive care unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), and was in dire need of O Negative blood.

"We have been asking family and friends to give blood if they can, but right now he's in dire need of blood, so if anybody can help out, I would greatly appreciate it," Sean Paul had said.

In a video posted on social media back then, the artiste said his father's illness was the reason he had been keeping a low profile musically over the last few months.

He did not disclose what the illness was.

Hopes of seeing his father improve were dashed on Thursday, as the family reported that the senior Henriques had passed away.

The entertainer has asked for some level of privacy during the challenging period for the family.

Female artiste Dovey MAgnum scored a hit in the dancehall with the sexplicit song Bawl Out and now, gospel artiste Chozenn has chosen to ride di riddim with Christian lyrics.

Chozenn debuted the song recently, and it has even been played on radio already. However, many say that Chozenn has gone a bit too far.

In his defence he stated: "Naturally, this song will provoke emotions, but this move of God shows anything bad can become good. I am not an escapist I strongly oppose escapism, The harsh reality social media, and television as poisoned the minds of our Children. Rape, molestation, early pregnancy and so much more is sadly what is happening to our youth, Music is powerful, the core agenda is to target our youth and provide an option to what they're hearing, in our taxis, buses, supermarkets, communities and surprisingly our homes. Reggae and Dancehall is Jamaica's authentic sound to the beat as it captivates the mind effortlessly. As a minister of the Gospel in these last days, we have to use wisdom and tap into our culture and invade it positively. However, while we marvel men God gets all the glory, we use songs and methods like these to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord works in a mysterious way this is another way he is using me (Chozenn) to share his word radically. I refuse to accept that this general is lost, If you are not a Christian while reading this you, yes you! I am praying for you to accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour. If you are saved and overly critical and deeply religious it's not for you but don't be quick to Judge God will be back to Judge the hearts of Men. I love you all and I am praying for this nation and world." [HOSEA 4:6]

US President Donald Trump has cancelled a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, blaming tremendous anger and open hostility from the North.

He said it was possible a meeting could still take place but warned North Korea against committing foolish acts.

The summit aimed to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons and would have been the first time a sitting US president met a North Korean leader.

Doubts had emerged on both sides whether the talks would take place.

Trump's announcement marks a fresh twist in the turbulent relationship between himself and Mr. Kim.

Meanwhile, a commemorative coin to mark the occasion is still available for purchase, the White House says. The coin bears the images of Tump and Kim and the year, 2018, and also the words 'peace talks'.

Lawyers representing jailed dancehall entertainers Vybz Kartel and Shawn "Storm" Campbell will have to wait until July in order to apply to introduce fresh evidence in their case before the Appeal Court.

Justice Dennis Morrison, President of the Appeal Court, declined to hear the application on Thursday during a case management hearing.

"The application was further put off to be heard on the 9th of July," said attorney Bert Samuels, who represents Vybz Kartel and Campbell.

He said the evidence, which was left out at the trial of the men, is crucial to the their appeal - the first hearing of which is also on July 9.

The lawyers were successful on Thursday in filing additional grounds of appeal for Shawn Campbell.

In addition to the late grounds being filed, "orders were made for the prosecution to respond to the arguments and the grounds made by Shawn Campbell because in breach of the orders, the prosecution had not yet given a response to the grounds filed," Mr. Samuels explained.

Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adijah Palmer, Shawn Campbell, along with Kahira Jones and Andre St. John were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 for the 2011 murder of Clive "Lizard" Williams.

The Greater Portmore Police are searching for gunmen behind Thursday morning's deadly attack in Gregory Park, St. Catherine, which left a race horse groom dead. He has been identified as Orlando Marshall otherwise called Coolie.

His girlfriend was also shot and has been hospitalised.

It is reported that shortly after two o'clock, Mr. Marshall and his girlfriend were asleep at their Dover Avenue residence, when armed men kicked off the door and opened gunfire on them.

The police say arrangements are being made to interview Leighton "Livity" Coke, the brother of extradited West Kingston strongman Christopher "Dudus" Coke, who was wanted for murder.

They say another man, Christopher "Titi Man" Coke, is also in custody and that he too is to be questioned in relation to the incident.

The police say both men were wanted in relation to the March 12, 2018 murder of Patrick Davis in Rockfort, Kingston 2.

The police say they surrendered to investigators at the Elletson Road Police in Kingston last evening accompanied by their attorneys, this after they were listed among five men wanted by the police in relation to a murder investigation.

Still being sought are Lanchester Coke otherwise called "Bamma T", David Biggs alias "Allen" and a man who goes by the alias "Ratty".

Due to Weather Warnings Best of the Best Music Festival has been moved to Mana Wynwood Convention Center located at 318 NE 23rd Street Miami Florida.

10,000 Sq Ft to stage this year's Best of the Best Music Festival.

"Safety has always been the first priority, therefore we have decided to take the concert indoors. We can't control Mother Nature, but cancelling the show was NOT an option either. We had to take into consideration all the persons who purchased tickets, purchased flights and booked hotels to be a part of this premiere event and therefore the show MUST GO ON" says co-promoter Steve "Jabba" Beckford.

Shocking footage from China shows a woman biting down on a man's tongue, refusing to let go until police use what appears to be pepper spray on her. According to witnesses, the man had attempted to break up with her, sparking the bloody incident.

(AFP) -- President Donald Trump violated the US constitution by blocking Twitter users who disagree with him, a federal judge ruled Wednesday in a case closely watched for implications for online free speech.

Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald said the blocking of Trump critics -- which prevent them from seeing and interacting with the president's tweets -- violated the free speech rights of those users guaranteed in the constitution's First Amendment.

In a 75-page opinion, the New York federal judge said the users "were indisputably blocked as a result of viewpoint discrimination" and that this was "impermissible under the First Amendment."

The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by a group of Twitter users and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

The lawsuit contended that because Trump uses Twitter for a variety of policy announcements, his Twitter account is "a designated public forum" that cannot exclude people due to their political views.

The judge acknowledged that even though the president has certain free speech rights, he cannot violate the rights of other Twitter users.

"While we must recognize, and are sensitive to, the president's personal First Amendment rights, he cannot exercise those rights in a way that infringes the corresponding First Amendment rights of those who have criticized him," she said in her opinion.

Buchwald stopped short of accepting the request for an injunction against Trump and his social media aide, Dan Scavino, who was also named in the complaint, saying she expected the White House to abide by her "declaratory" ruling.

"Because no government official is above the law and because all government officials are presumed to follow the law once the judiciary has said what the law is, we must assume that the president and Scavino will remedy the blocking we have held to be unconstitutional," she wrote.

Leighton 'Livity' Coke has been listed among five men wanted by the Kingston Eastern Police Division today.

According to the police, Coke, who is the brother of imprisoned gangster Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, and the other men are wanted in connection with the murder of 31-year-old Patrick Davis otherwise called 'P Boy'.

Police say Davis' body was found in Rockfort, Kingston, on Monday, March 12.

The other four men are:

Lanchester Coke otherwise called 'Bamma T';

Christopher Coke alias 'Titti Man';

David Biggs alias 'Alien' ;

and a man only known as Ratty.

Lawmen said that the men are being asked to turn themselves in immediately.

The police have described Tommy Lee as a dangerous gangster who is behind many criminal activities in St James. Ealan Powell, the police commander in charge of the State of Public Emergency in St James, has described the hardcore entertainer as a "serious gangster."

"Tommy Lee, as far as we know, is a serious gangster... Somebody who intelligence report indicate, is behind a lot the criminal activities in St James," Powell said.

He also dismissed assertions that the police transferred Tommy Lee to Montego Day and detained him under the state of emergency to avoid having to release him.

"You can be held anywhere under the state of emergency. If we believe that you flee the state of emergency we can hold you anywhere," he explained.

In the meantime, Powell says investigators will respect the entertainer's human and constitutional rights, but will not relent in their investigations.

"If we have intelligence that he is involved in criminal activities we are going to seek to interview him and to carry out investigations around him irrespective of who he is," Powell insisted.

Tommy Lee's newest attorney, Donahue Martin has complained about a photo of the entertainer dressed in an underwear while in custody being circulated via social media.

"I was made aware of that picture and I find it very unprofessional, and we do intend to write to the relevant authorities, in particular the commissioner of police, to ascertain why it is that this is being done while somebody is a guest of the state," said Martin.

"I believe it had to have been taken by a member of the police, and I find it extremely unprofessional. We expect the commissioner to respond and to deal with whatever disciplinary action ought to be taken," Martin added.

Dancehall entertainer Tommy Lee Sparta whose real name is Leroy Russell will remain behind bars until next weekTuesday, May 29

Parish judge Sandria Wong Small have given the St James police permission to hold the Sparta deejay for another seven days after which he must be charged or released from custody. She made the order after the entertainer's attorneys, Tom Tavares-Finson and Donahue Martin, made a habeas corpus application on his behalf in the St James Parish Court today. A habeas corpus application is a writ which requires that a detainee be brought before a judge, especially to secure his release, unless lawful grounds are shown for continued detention.

Tommy Lee Sparta, was transferred from Kingston to the Freeport Police Station in Montego Bay on Monday morning, hours after he was taken into custody in the corporate area. The police say Tommy Lee is being held under the state of public emergency in St James, although they deny that he was transported to St James specifically for this reason.

The American record producer uploaded Alkaline's brand new single "Pick Unuh Side" to his Instagram account with over 10.3 Million followers on Monday.

Khaled loved the track instantly especially because Alkaline gave his son Asahd a shoutout. "Star from me born something like Asahd," the Dancehall heavyweight deejays over the catchy beat produced by Chimney Records.

DJ Khaled endorsement will definitely be helping Alkaline's upcoming project due later this year. Meanwhile, the Vendetta boss reunited with his MVP team over the weekend when he performed in Washington D.C with Mavado and Jahmiel.

Cricketer Marlon Samuels has again gone overboard with his social media antics towards Yanique the Curvy Diva Barrett. Samuels last week issued an online bounty on the head of Yanique for the general public to search for her and message him her location with the hope of a monetary reward that increased on a daily basis. All this effort was to serve her with legal papers which Samuels claims Yanique was avoiding and had been in hiding.

The cricketer took the opportunity to then issue a second bounty for persons to capture video footage of Yanique being served with the alleged papers last Saturday night at the Magnum Kings and Queens Finals at Melbourne Cricket Club.

"If you have a document for Yanique you know who her Lawyer is so sending out a bounty online putting her in danger in public is unnecessary. Having your friend bleach out backstage to give her a document at 1am Sunday Morning at Magnum final show while you wait outside in your car is second hand stalking and you need to stop" A source close to the Curvy Diva explained

The source also confirmed that these tactics by Samuels are dangerous for the safety of Yanique The Curvy Diva, her daughter and her team as well as anyone who would approach her in public at Samuels' behest.

"Yanique's security detail has the right to bodily harm anyone who approaches the artiste in a threatening manner, so people can get hurt trying to collect $20,000," The source added

The source also detailed that the document in question is a letter from Samuels' lawyer asking specifically for an apology from The Curvy Diva, the document is in no way a court document served as commencement of any law suit from Samuels which is what a few persons have been incorrectly speculating.

"All this social media antics for an apology request letter? This is obviously attention seeking behavior, a court summons cant be served after 6pm especially on a weekend so that would not have even been legal and no clerk of the court would have even been a part of that,' The source added.

The source also made it clear that the Curvy Diva will not be responding to Samuels on social media because her lawyer is the one who has been given the authority to address all matters related to this case.

On Sunday Tommy Lee Sparta went to an ATM in Manor Park, St Andrew, with his manager Tanya Thelwell after leaving the finale of the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall show when he was detained.

"He was abducted at gunpoint by men in masks and taken to the Half-Way-Tree Police Station where it turned out that the men were police officers," said Smith. "Some time ago they had accused him of causing trouble in Montego Bay. The man has since moved and they are still accusing him of things that happen in the parish. I want to know who down there wants him and I'm going to speak with a judge to set up a hearing application for his release. They moved him like a thief in the night."

This is not the first time Tommy Lee Sparta has featured on the cops's radar.

He, along with three others, were charged jointly in February 2014 with suspected breaches of the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transaction) (Special Provisions) Act, 2013. The trial was scheduled to begin last October.

In June 2017, he was questioned and subsequently released by members of the Elleston Road Police Station about a shooting in the division. In January that same year, former head of the St James Police division, Senior Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth, listed the artiste as a person of interest in relation to crime in sections of Flanker in St James.

A former member of Vybz Kartel's Portmore Empire, Tommy Lee Sparta is known for songs including Grim Rim Rave, Holding Out the Pressure, Happy Life, Shook, Some Bwoy, Buss A Blank and We Want Paper.

The lawyer for Tommy Lee Sparta is crying foul over the abrupt transfer of his client from Kingston to Montego Bay to face charges. Reports are that the dancehall artiste was arrested on Sunday while at an ATM in MAnor Park by maked policemen. He was taken to the says the police "kidnapped" his client from Half-Way-Tree police lock-up yesterday and took him to St James without his knowledge.

According to Smith, he had requested a habeas corpus at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court yesterday which would allow his client to appear before a judge and granted release. But the lawyer later found out that the entertainer was removed from the lockup. The attorney said he had no knowledge as to where in Montego Bay his client was being held.

"About an hour ago I received information that Tommy Lee had been carted to Montego Bay where there is a state of emergency... Men came for him at 8:00 am this morning (yesterday) and kidnapped him, so to speak. I had no idea this was done and clearly it was done to desist my habeas corpus application tomorrow (today) in Half-Way-Tree. I find it hard to believe that a senior officer had no idea that the citizen had been carted to Montego Bay when we spoke," he reportedly told morning tabloid, Jamaica Observer.

Five persons died in a two-vehicle collision on the Orchard main road in Hopewell, Hanover Sunday night. Two other persons have been seriously injured.

The deceased were all occupants of the same vehicle.

Three of them have been identified. They are 28 year old Joseph Brown, Phillip Jones, and Nicholas French.

The police report that, shortly after 10 o'clock, a gray Toyota Corolla Kingfish, driven by Mr. Brown, with four passengers, drifted into the path of a white Toyota Corolla wagon travelling in the opposite direction.

All the occupants of the Kingfish died at the scene.

Two persons from the other vehicle have been hospitalised in serious condition.

The final case management conference ahead of the July 9 appeal by Adidja Palmer AKA Vybz Kartel, and the three other men who were convicted of murder along with him, is set for this Thursday.

The session is scheduled as the last exercise before Kartel, Shawn Storm; and two other co-convicts, Kahira Jones and Andre St John, face the Appeal Court in relation to the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams in August 2011.

The appeal is expected to run for about three weeks.

Reports are that all is in place for the big day in court on July 9, as the legal groundwork has been done and positioning on the matter between the prosecution and the defence has been established between the two sides.

The four men were convicted of Williams' murder in March 2014, and were each given life sentences, with the recommended time-frames before eligibility for parole running up to 35 years in the case of Kartel.

Shawn Storm is the latest entertainer to be transferred within the prison system.

According to reports, the "Gaza Nuh Tek Diss" deejay was also moved the same week as his mentor Vybz Kartel and Ninjaman.

Shawn Storm is now being housed at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, formerly known as the General Penitentiary (GP) along with co-accused Kahiro Jones.

The shakeup comes after a leaked prison video of Ninjaman went viral.

In the clip which surfaced late April, the former Downsound Records artiste, whose given name is Desmond Ballentine, can be seen smoking a spliff, while showing off his brand new pair of Clarks to fellow inmates and jokingly telling them he is a modern day bad man.

"A we mek jail look like blood*****t road. Clarks clean like whistle, bottom brand new," the former Downsound records deejay said as inmates cheered him on, "We a modern badman wid modern badness," he continued.

The video resulted in Ninjaman being sent to the Horizon Adult Remand Centre in Kingston and Vybz Kartel was transferred to the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre in Spanish Town.

Vybz Kartel and Shawn Storm are currently preparing for their appeal trial set for July 9. Kartel, Shawn Storm, Jones and St John were found guilty of murder in March 2014 for killing Clive 'Lizard' Williams in August 2011.

Belize Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber has confirmed that he was "detained for about three hours" last month when he visited the United States because police thought he fitted the description of a man who was about to launch a gun attack on a school.

Faber, who appeared on a television programme on Thursday night, confirmed that the incident occurred on April 20 in Henry County, telling viewers "there was an incident in the United States with the Henry County Sherriff,".

Faber said that he had gone to the school where his two children are studying and was welcomed by the principal.

"I had called the schools to say that I would be visiting and I was welcomed by the principal, to say you are able to come in. I wanted to check on their progress and I wanted to ensure that the school was aware that I am very much interested in their wellbeing, in their learning environment there and so on," he said.

"So I made those arrangements and upon arriving at the school on the day that was scheduled, I was greeted by the police and I was held to gunpoint and arrested and I was detained for about three hours."

The Deputy Prime Minister said that he later learned that there was a 911 call made to the police claiming that "I was going to the school to shoot, and in fact that I was a threat.

"According to the Henry County Sheriff's office, they said that I was described by name and by features and so naturally I cannot blame the police for doing what they did. They acted in a manner that I think we would act here in Belize if we received information that a school was threatened,".

"Naturally, the police, later on, found out that that was never my intention, that the school was actually expecting me to visit. It's a normal situation for a parent to check in, especially if you don't live in the country where the children are going to school,".

Faber said that the police apologised "profusely and in fact told me that they would be investigating the 911 call.

"They told me the specifics about the caller and in fact promised me that they would be investigating it further and that in fact, I was a victim. The police apologised profusely and I was allowed to go on my way," Faber said.

Faber said that his two children had relocated to the United States to be with their mother, his ex-wife, who has since re-married.

Jamaica Defence Force Corporal Dwight Stephens and his wife Stacey Ann were each offered $600,000.00 bail when they appeared in the St Catherine Parish Court. As a condition of bail, they are both required to report to the police daily and to surrender their travel documents.

They are also banned from all ports of entry and exit.

They were ordered to return to court on July 26.

The police reported that on May 11, 2018 they arrested the couple during operations in Greater Portmore, St. Catherine where over 600 pounds of ganja, cash totalling $265,000, a licensed firearm along with ammunition, and two motor cars were also seized.

The couple was subsequently charged with possession of ganja, dealing in ganja, taking steps to export ganja, using premises for drugs, conspiracy, and possession of criminal property.

In applying for bail, their lawyer Peter Champagnie alluded to the fact one of the accused, upon being formally interviewed by the police, told them that where the ganja was found in the house was occupied by a helper and her common husband.

Champagnie also submitted that soldier was suffering from a medical condition and so too does a child of the couple.

It is the Asian tiger mosquito or aedes albopictus which is similar to the aedes aegypti mosquito which is endemic to Jamaica and which transmits the dengue, Chikungunya, Zika and other viruses.

Acting Chief Public Health Inspector for St Catherine, Grayston Hutchinson told last Thursday's monthly meeting of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation that the Asia tiger mosquito was discovered following surveillance throughout the island.

He was responding to questions from councillors attending the monthly meeting.

The tiger mosquito is so named because of its striped appearance, which resembles that of the tiger.

Similar to the aedes aegypti mosquito, the female is the carrier of several viruses, including yellow fever, dengue, Chikungunya and Zika.

A Portland couple was killed in a motor vehicle crash along the Iteboreale main road in St Mary on Wednesday, May 16. They were heading back to Portland after reportedly dropping off their son at the airport.

They have since been identified as 61-year-old Adrian Peters, a senior survey technician of East Harbour Road in Port Antonio and 54-year-old Carol-Mae Adams of Anchovy Land Settlement, also in the parish.

It's reported that about 3:30 the two were travelling in a Toyota Corolla motor car towards Portland when a truck, travelling in the opposite direction, allegedly overtook a car.

It's further reported that Peters, who was driving the Corolla, swerved from the path of the truck to avoid a colliaion and lost control of the vehicle.

The car crashed into a wall and the two were pinned down inside the vehicle.

Bystanders rushed to assist Peters and Adams, using hammers and other tools to access the vehicle in an attempt to remove them from the wreckage.

The police were eventually called in to assist and the two were rushed to hospital where they died while being treated.

Several amendments are being proposed to the Rent Restriction Act, which are expected to address current challenges in the rental industry and make it more equitable for landlords and tenants.

Senior director in the housing policy, research and monitoring branch of the ministry of economic growth and job creation, paula parkes, says the challenges which exist in the industry relate mostly to standardisation of security deposits, timely recovery of possessions and breach of tenant and landlord covenants.

Ms Parkes says among the changes being proposed is an amendment to the name of the act to 'the Rent Act'. She said the word 'restriction' will be removed to make it clear that the act covers the entirety of the rental industry.

Reggae artiste Capleton has used social media to thank his fans and colleagues for their support, as he faces a charge of rape. In the post he reminded that he has never been accused of putting his hand on any woman in an abusive way and stated that he has nothing but respect for women.

The entertainer declared his innocence, even as his lawyer has been fuming about the botched investigations by the police, which led to the rape charge.

The lawyer has stated publicly that he told the police that he has evidence - voice notes and whats app messages - that would prove his client's innocent, but the police reportedly told hiim to present the evidence in court.

Interestingly, the very same day that the woman had reported to the police that she had been raped by Capleton, the entertainer had also made a formal report to the police that the same woman was trying to extort money from him.

The philanthropist, who stages and annual charity show, 'A St Mary Mi Come From', is known for his enormous kindness and his willingness to help the less fortunate.

Capleton has an undying passion for his birth parish, St Mary, and while most of the proceeds from the annual event go towards projects in the parish, adjoining parishes have been known to benefit from the staging of 'A St. Mary Mi Come From'.

As the entertainer who's affectionately known as King Shango is even now fighting a charge of rape, Yardflex spoke to an associate of Capleton, who had some rather revealing information.

According to the source, Capleton would never wash his locks at a hotel, and furthermore, the source added that the only woman allowed to touch the Rastafarian's locks is his cousin.

"Is Capleton cousin alone wash him locks. When she wash it, we haffi sprad leaves inder the tree because the Fireman locks way down pass him back almst a touch ground. So after she finish wash it him haffi stay under the tree and let it out so that it can dry. Which hotel? Dem man deh nah go a no hotel go wah locks...and Capleton nuh groom him locks either," the associate explained.

The woman who has accused the artiste of rape is said to be a hairdresser, but that claim was also refuted.

"She is no hairdresser. Is somebody that all of we know; she have a wholesale and we buy goods from her all the while," the source revealed to Yardflex.

It was also stated that the woman did in fact visit Capleton at the New Kingston hotel where he stays quite frequently and further that woman knew that she was going there for a sexual tryst.

"She all get her taxi fare when she leave...but afterwards she begin fi try use her head fi get more money. She say she did sick and inna hospital and we find out say a lie. Then she start fi call call up King Shango fi money and bare things. So after the Fireman block her and decide fi report the matter to the police, a so she start spin her story," the source confided to Yardflex.

United States President Trump portrayed some immigrants crossing into the country illegally as "animals" while speaking Wednesday at a White House event targeting California's sanctuary city policies.

"We have people coming into the country, who are trying to come in, and we're stopping a lot of them, but we're taking people out of the country, you wouldn't believe how bad these people are," Trump said in reference to alleged gang members. "These aren't people. These are animals."

That broad-brush assertion itself is jarring, but not uncommon for Trump. In fact, it's just the latest instance in which Trump has sought to dehumanize those he considers undesirable. After a man angry over losing his job opened fire on a former office rival on Aug. 24, 2012, on the sidewalk outside the Empire State Building, Trump wasted little time rendering his judgment.

"Terrible tragedy at the Empire State Building today. We must have fast trials and death penalty for the animals," Trump tweeted. The gunman, however, was killed by police at the scene.

In fact, Trump often uses the word "animal" when advocating for swift capital punishment of those accused of crimes, as was the case with an Oklahoma man suspected in the murder of a female co-worker in September 2014. Alton Nolen, 33, was found guilty of the crime three years later and was sentenced to death.

In a May 11, 2015, tweet, Trump demanded to know why there weren't protests "in favor of the two young police officers gunned down in Mississippi by two deranged animals" at a traffic stop. He demanded the death penalty for the four suspects, one of whom, the suspected shooter, was later found dead in his cell while awaiting trail. The other suspects are now serving prison time for lesser charges.

In the first debate of 2016 Republican presidential primaries, moderator Megyn Kelly asked Trump about using the term "disgusting animal" to describe women, which gave the candidate the opportunity for a memorable retort.

In effect, that response epitomizes Trump's threshold for calling others an "animal": The word applies when he says so.

After he was elected president, Trump delivered a speech to Long Island law enforcement officers in which he extolled the virtues of violent policing when dealing with MS-13 gang members.

"I was reading one of these animals was caught explaining they like to knife them and cut them and let them die slowly because that way it's more painful. And they enjoy watching that much more," Trump said.

At a July campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, Trump returned to his portrayal of undocumented immigrants as "animals."

"And you've seen the stories about some of these animals. They don't want to use guns, because it's too fast and not painful enough," Trump said, adding, "And these are the animals we've been protecting for so long. Well they're not being protected anymore, folks."

Following reports that the Syrian government had again used chemical weapons on its own people, Trump turned on Bashar Assad, giving him a new nickname.

Trump's sweeping judgment has long been incredibly swift for a man in his position. Of course, that's a quality his supporters often cite as distinguishing him from normal politicians. But it's also easy to find examples of when that impulse has been shown to be faulty.

When five black and Latino teenagers were accused of raping a white woman in Central Park in 1989, Trump took out full page ads in the city's daily newspapers demanding that the death penalty be reinstalled to deal with the suspects.

"I no longer want to understand their anger. I want them to understand our anger. I want them to be afraid," Trump wrote of the accused. "How can our great society tolerate the continued brutalization of its citizens by crazed misfits?"

Fourteen years after their conviction, DNA evidence exonerated the young men and they were released from prison. To this day, Trump has never apologized to the men known as the Central Park Five.

Crime Stop was first on the scene to premiere the most anticipated movie of the season, Avengers: Infinity War. The non-governmental organisation staged the private screening at the Carib 5 theatre recently as part of their annual fundraiser towards their rewards fund.

There are now more details available on the timeline for implementation of the ban on single-use plastic bags and styrofoam boxes in the local retail trade.

Government Senator Matthew Samuda is anticipating that within the next three months there should be significant developments. The upcoming ban was announced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday by Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Daryl Vaz. He explained that the widely popular plastic bags will soon be banned and Jamaicans will need to get reusable bags when they go shopping. In addition, regulations will be put in place for garbage bags including allowable sizes and types.

Vaz gave no timeline, but Mr Samuda has given a rundown of the activities that are taking take place and their estimated time of completion. He states that there was lengthy consultation with several groups up to two weeks ago and based on these discussions, the timelines are clearer.

A 40-year-old man who works with the National Commercial Bank and his school teacher wife are in police custody charged with fraud and illegal possession of ammunition. Ronald McLaren and his wife, 47 year Shernett McLaren, were charged on the weekend by detectives of the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC).

They have been charged jointly with illegal possession of 50 rounds of ammunition. Mr. McLaren has also been charged with conspiracy to defraud and possession of identity information of NCB customers.

C-TOC detectives raided the couple's St. Andrew residence on Friday as part of a probe into the scamming of debit and credit card holders of the bank. Investigators alleged that Mr. McLaren is one of the persons leaking information on customers to scammers.

A policeman who was ordered released before the St. Catherine Parish Court last Tuesday has again been arrested and charged with murder. Detective Constable Shawn Pennington was arrested on Wednesday by the Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) and charged with the murder of Rishawn Oliver.

This follows a probe by the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) and a ruling by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. In a news release Wednesday afternoon, INDECOM said Mr. Pennington was taken before Parish Judge Evan Brown in the St. Catherine Home Circuit Court.

He was offered $800,000 bail with sureties. The matter was adjourned for mention on October 25.

However, the case was dismissed by the Parish Court judge last Tuesday when it was ruled that INDECOM did not have the jurisdiction to bring charges against the officer.

Press freedom advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has written to Dr Andrew Wheatley, the Chairman of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament currently examining the Data Protection Bill, to express concerns about the chilling effect which the proposed legislation could have on journalism.

RSF, which produces the annual World Press Freedom Index, is suggesting that the Parliament amend the Bill to include a blanket exemption for journalists.

The group's suggestion echoes similar proposals made by the Press Association of Jamaica and the Media Association of Jamaica.

RSF says it does not believe that the Bill makes a sufficient distinction between gathering "data" for journalistic activities and gathering data for regular commercial purposes and says the Bill's negative impact on journalism could outweigh the advantages the legislation is supposed to provide.

The organisation says it acknowledges the existing exemptions for journalism in the Bill as drafted, RSF Executive Director for North American Margaux Ewen says a clear blanket exemption for journalists should be provided instead of a handful of provisions.

RSF notes that without a blanket exemption, the proposed legislation is potentially threatening for journalists and media outlets.

"It says it aims to protect "sensitive personal data," including "political opinions, philosophical beliefs, religious beliefs or other beliefs of a similar nature," all of which are examples of subjects journalists focus their reporting on. How can journalists report on matters of public interest and hold those in power accountable under such a law?" asks Ewan.

Specific provisions of the Bill about which RSF is raising concern include the power given to the Information Commissioner to enforce, exempt, and penalise data controllers, which would include journalists.

State agency representatives and residents of the Clarendon community of Treadlight were sent scampering Wednesday morning as shots rang out adjacent to a property they were preparing to facilitate birth registration activities.

The event was to be hosted in the community square.

It is reported that about 9.30 a.m, a car drove up and two gunmen got out firing several shots at a man next door.

The target fell after he was hit and it is reported that the gunmen then went over him firing several more shots.

The Health Ministry is rejecting claims being circulated on social media of yellow fever in Jamaica.

Yellow fever is an acute illness caused by the yellow fever virus, which is found in the tropics of South America and Africa.

The virus is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes, such as the aedes aegypti, the same vector that transmits the chikungunya, dengue and zika viruses.

In the meantime, the ministry says it continues to heighten its mosquito control activities island-wide.

Yellow Fever is a Class 1 notifiable disease, which means it is to be reported to the Ministry of Health within 24 hours on suspicion by a healthcare professional.

To prevent the importation of the yellow fever virus into Jamaica where the disease does not occur, but where the mosquito vector and human hosts are present, vaccination against yellow fever is required for Jamaicans travelling overseas to destinations that are reported by the World Health Organisation as countries at risk for yellow fever transmission.

The police have revealed that the shipment of 19 guns intercepted at the Kingston Container Terminal on November 17 last year was destined for the Westmoreland-based Dexter Street Gang.

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey, that's when the gang landed on the police's radar.

The weapons and nearly 4,000 assorted rounds of ammunition were found in two freezers at the port.

Bailey, the head of the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Division Branch (C-TOC), provided the update at a press conference this morning while revealing that another four members of the gang have been arrested, pushing to 17 the number of alleged members of the criminal network now behind bars.

However, Bailey said the man believed to be the leader of the gang and it's main financier, Shadane Patrick Robinson, also known as Gorgan, remains on the run.

According to the C-TOC boss, Robinson was charged with murder and granted bail and is believed to have fled the island for the United States.

He said investigators believe that two other members of the gang who are wanted by the police -- Oshane Rankine, also called Shabba, and Juwayne Barnes, alias Spent Shell -- have also fled to the US.

The alleged gangsters - 13 males and four females - have been charged under the so-called anti-gang legislation and are scheduled to appear before the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston shortly.

The gangsters have allegedly been linked to nearly 40 murders in western Jamaica in the past 17 months and Bailey said their arrests have since "significantly disrupted" criminal activities.

The gang is responsible for or linked to over 17 murders and 27 shooting incidents in 2017 and since the beginning of the year, 22 murders and several shootings have also been linked to this gang.

The gangsters were arrested between last week Tuesday and Saturday during a series of operations by the security forces.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31.

The character of the food and the manner in which it is eaten exert a powerful influence on the health. Many ... have never made a determined effort to control the appetite, or to observe proper rules in regard to eating. Some eat too much at their meals, and some eat between meals whenever the temptation is presented.

The need of carefulness in habits of diet should be impressed on the minds of all.... I appeal to all to refuse to eat those things that will injure the health. Thus they can serve the Lord by sacrifice.

Those who obey the laws of health will give time and thought to the needs of the body and to the laws of digestion. And they will be rewarded by clearness of thought and strength of mind. On the other hand it is possible for one to spoil his Christian experience by abuse of the stomach. Those things that derange the digestion have a benumbing influence on the finer feelings of the heart.... Every habit that injures the health reacts upon the mind. That time is well spent which is directed to the establishment and preservation of sound physical and mental health. Firm, quiet nerves and a healthy circulation help men to follow right principles and to listen to the promptings of conscience....

The brain is the citadel of the being. Wrong physical habits affect the brain, and prevent the attainment of ... good mental discipline. Unless the youth are versed in the science of how to care for the body as well as for the mind, they will not be successful students. Study is not the principal cause of breakdown of the mental powers. The main cause is improper diet, irregular meals, a lack of physical exercise, and careless inattention in other respects to the laws of health. When we do all that we can to preserve the health, then we can ask God in faith to bless our efforts....

The youth should be taught that they are not at liberty to do as they please with their lives. God will not hold guiltless those who treat lightly His precious gifts. Men should realize that the greater their endowment of strength, of talent, of means, or of opportunities, the more heavily should the burden of God's work rest upon them, and the more they should do for Him. The youth who are trained to believe that life is a sacred trust will hesitate to plunge into the vortex of dissipation and crime that swallows up so many promising young men of this age.--Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 297-300.

Mental and moral power is dependent upon the physical health.--Mind, Character, and Personality 1:61.

The Guyana Prison Service (GPS) Monday said it has joined the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in launching an investigation into how inmates at a prison were able to acquire large bottles of liquor and engage in a party on Mothers' Day on Sunday.

Images on social media showed the inmates, including one who is on remand on a murder charge, at the New Amsterdam Prison posing with the drinks and smoking what appeared to be marijuana cigarettes.

"There is no direct evidence pointing to any prison officer who would have facilitated the movement of the contraband into the prison. The prisoner would have identified a civilian who brought it," GPS Director, Gladwin Samuels, told the online publication Demerarawaves.

He said a playback of video surveillance recordings showed that a tractor was searched and nothing was found.

The publication said pictures of the prisoners holding and consuming what appeared to be bottles of liquor were posted on the Facebook page of remanded murder accused, Abdul Andre Azimullah.

"Sanctions will be taken against those persons who are found culpable," Samuels said.

The latest incident comes less than two weeks after Samuels had complained about the ongoing problem of smuggling of prohibited items into prisons.

He warned prison wardens about being part of the smuggling efforts and reminded them of the action that could be taken once they are found in the act.

Rihanna, queen of pop, makeup, lingerie, and Catholicism-inspired fashion, pops up pretty much wherever the latest action is. One place she won't be, however, is the royal wedding--which, as you might of heard, is happening this coming Saturday, May 19.

The invite list to the royal wedding is kept to an intimate 600 people, not including the 2,640 normals (such as myself, in a better world) who will be spectacle-ing on the grounds of Windsor Castle. That's fine and all, but when you're an institution as extensive as the British monarchy and surrounding aristocracy, those seats get filled up pretty quickly.

Apparently, Rihanna is clued into this, and, humbly, didn't really think she'd be invited. Sure, Rihanna and Prince Harry might have met in 2016 at a Barbados National HIV/AIDS Commission event, but Rihanna didn't think that alone warranted an invite to the royal wedding.

Following last week's arrest and charge of real estate attorney Jennifer Messado for alleged fraud, the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) has charged a second accused in the case. Real estate broker Beverly Barakat was charged on Monday. She was arrested Sunday by C-TOC investigators. Mrs Barakat has been charged with conspiracy to defraud, forgery and operating a real estate brokerage firm without a licence.

It is alleged that she conspired with Mrs Messado in the illegal transfer of a property.

Both women are scheduled to appear before the St. Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday.

Mrs Messado was arrested and charged on Friday by C-TOC detectives. The attorney has been charged with uttering forged documents, forgery, conspiracy to defraud, causing money to be paid out by forged document, and money laundering. Investigators reported that on December 20 last year, Mrs Messado prepared an Agreement of Sale for two parcels of land without the knowledge and consent of the owner.

They alleged that she collected US$270,000 as down payment from the prospective purchaser.

The properties were put to sale for $232 million.

C-TOC is expected to lay additional charges against Mrs Messado in relation to another property.

A senior investigator said she is being investigated in connection with other real estate transactions.

Reports of a newly-graduated police constable being placed under probe only one day after he reportedly graduated from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) training school have sent social media in overdrive. The new graduate, who was supposed to officially take up his position on the nation's streets as a full-fledge member of the force, is now under investigation in connection with the theft of a laptop.

Reports are that on Saturday, May 12, a software developer of a Kingston 8 address visited the Central CIB office in Kingston and requested the assistance of the police to recover his laptop. He reported that the item had been stolen from his car on Friday while it was parked on the compound of Sovereign Shopping Centre in St Andrew, and that he had reported the matter at the Matilda's Corner Police Station, which covers the area where the laptop was lost.

Police were told that the technician had managed to track his laptop to 96 Orange Street in down Kingston, hence his visit to the Central Police Station. Acting on the information, reports are that a team of officers accompanied the complainant to the location, and during a search, the laptop was recovered at a premises that was being operated as a shop.

The shop owner, when questioned, told the police that the laptop had been left there by a friend who would be returning soon to have it fixed. Shortly after, the person who the shop owner spoke about turned up at the establishment.The individual was held and questioned, and later identified himself as a young police constable who had graduated a day before.

Reports are that the new JCF member was asked where he got the laptop from, and he reportedly indicated that a man known to him as 'Country' of a Waterhouse, Kingston 11 address, gave it to him just hours before he was held. The investigators, acting on the information provided by the police constable, ended up apprehending a man in Seven Miles, Bull Bay, St Andrew.The man was questioned but minutes into the session, he reportedly changed his story and denied knowing the name 'Country', and refuted the claims that the new police constable had made against him regarding the laptop.

However, after further questioning, the man reportedly indicated that he did know the police constable for several years. The man reportedly told the investigators that he was contacted by the police constable before the police team arrived where he was, and told to take the blame for the stolen laptop, and to also tell the police that he was known as 'Country'.

The man reportedly told the investigators that the police constable had told him to tell the detectives that he found the laptop in a garbage bin. The man claimed that he agreed when the police constable made the request, but later changed his story when he found out the seriousness of the matter, and made the decision to speak the 'truth'.

Reports are that statements have since been recorded from all the parties and a formal probe has been launched into the matter.

Capleton's lawyer Christopher Townsend says a dual investigation is taking place. According to Townsend, the lady who accused the 51-year-old dancehall deejay of rape is also being investigated for extortion. He said he anticipates the lady will also be taken into custody shortly.

On Friday, detectives assigned to the Center for Investigation Sexual Offense and Child Abuse, CISOCA, arrested and charged Capleton for rape.

According to Corporate Communications Unity CCU, reports are that on Saturday, April 28, at about 11:20 am, Capleton allegedly hired a female hairdresser to groom his hair at a hotel in New Kingston. The report further states that while at the hotel the dancehall deejay allegedly forcibly had sexual intercourse with her.

The matter was reported to the police and an investigation launched. Capleton was subsequently charged after a question and answer interview was conducted in the presence of his attorney.

Capleton is to appear in the St. Andrew Parish Court on Monday, May 14.

Tourism Minister, Ed Bartlett is participating in the 9th Asian Leadership Conference (ALC) and the PATA Annual Summit in South Korea. While there, the Minister is expected to participate in a series of panel discussions on the state of the tourism industry globally. He will also use the opportunity to garner support for the Global Resilience and Crisis Management Centre and Observatory, which will be housed at the University of West Indies, Mona.

The Minister's first engagement in South Korea is the 9th Asian Leadership Conference (ALC), where he will speak about: Tourism and Sustainable Development and Globalization and Cooperation in Asia Pacific, at two of the sessions on May 16. The invitation was extended by Sang-Hoon Bang, President and CEO of the Chosunilbo, the largest newspaper in South Korea and hosts of the ALC.

In the letter of invitation, Mr Bang noted that the Minister was invited because of the significant contributions he has made to the global tourism industry as the world's leading Tourism Minister.

"You have played a major role in economic growth and the transformation of communities by constructing tourism infrastructure. Under your leadership, you initiated the Tourism Linkages Network which seeks to develop connections between the tourism sector and other productive sectors of the economy," said Mr Bang.

Since its inauguration in 2005, the ALC has become the most prestigious gathering of global leaders in Asia. Speakers in the past have included former Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon; former President of the United States, President Barack Obama and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron.

The Minister will then travel to Gangneung to participate in the PATA Annual Summit (PAS). He will participate as a panellist at the United Nations World Tourism Organization/PATA Leaders Debate on Saturday, May 19.

Minister Bartlett will share his insights on the current challenges being faced by the travel and tourism industry. He will also use the opportunity to discuss airlift issues and will speak on the Global Centre for Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management as well as meet with representatives from Samsung to discuss possibilities for partnership.

Minister Bartlett will be accompanied by Dr. Lloyd Waller, Senior Advisor/Consultant and Ms. Anna-Kay Newell, Executive Assistant to the Minister. The team is expected to return to the island on May 21.

The police say they are closely watching sections of Portmore following reports that there are a number of drug networks being operated in some sections of the huge overall community.

The police said over the last few days they have carried out a series of raids in a number hotspot areas that they are monitoring, and these activities have resulted in at least two major ganja busts.

The most recent incident involved a soldier and his wife, who were allegedly found at a premises with over 600 pounds of the weed, for which they have been charged.

Days before that find, a St Catherine man identified as Cavon Duncan, was held at the Norman Manley International Airport, allegedly trying to leave the island with over 18 pounds of ganja.

The police said he was arrested, and that development led to something more.

Following the arrest at the airport, the police carried out an investigation that led to another man - Ricardo Blake - who is believed to be a major link to an underground drug operation in Portmore.

Duncan and Blake are now facing charges of possession of ganja, dealing in ganja, taking preparatory steps to export ganja, and conspiracy.

In respect of further details, the narcotics police said about 2:30 p.m., Duncan checked in at the Norman Manley International Airport to board a flight to Panama.

During security screening by port security officers, abnormalities were reportedly observed in his suitcase, and police narcotics personnel were contacted.

The detectives subsequently searched the suitcase in his presence, and allegedly found 10 packages wrapped in foil paper and brown masking tape, each containing the illicit drug.

Duncan was taken into custody while detectives continued to investigate.

The police said a follow-up operation at a premises in Portmore, St Catherine resulted in Blake being arrested in connection with the airport seizure.

The two men have since been booked to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court next Wednesday on the ganja-related charges.

The police monitoring sections of Portmore said they do not believe the cases involving the soldier and his wife, and the two other men, were linked, but they were not ruling out the possibility and would be keeping a close tab on the areas under focus.

Investigators from the Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) charged attorney-at- law Jennifer Messado on Friday, May 11.

She has been charged with four counts of forgery, two counts of uttering Forged documents, Conspiracy to Defraud, Causing money to be paid out by forged documents and Money Laundering.

According to investigators on December 20, 2017, the accused prepared an Agreement of Sales for two parcel of land without the knowledge and consent of the owner. It is alleged that Messado forged the signature of the trustee, stamp and letter head of the owner of the properties to facilitate the fictitious transaction and collected 270, 000 USD as down payment for the prospective purchaser.

These properties were put to sale for 232 million JMD or 1.8 million USD dollars.

Capleton's attorney Christopher Townsend says he is confident that the deejay will be exonerated. Townsend says the artiste made a report to a constable on May 2 that a woman had been attempting to extort money from him after a sexual encounter days earlier.

Allegations are that after the sexual encounter, the woman allegedly complained that she had a cyst on her ovary and had been admitted to the hospital for treatment, and according to Capleton's management team, that was a lie.

His rep claimed that the alleged victim then sent one of her daughters, a 19-year-old, to pick up snacks from the deejay, but the demands did not subside.

Capleton reportedly refused to co-operate once the woman demanded a large sum of money to allow her to be a part of a 'round-robin'.

The rep added that police, both at the Half-Way Tree CIB and officials from CISOCA, are in possession of text messages and conversations relating to the matter.

Reports from the police are that on Saturday, April 28 at about 11:20 a.m., the "Jah Jah City" singer whose real name is Clifton Bailey, reportedly hired a female hairdresser to groom his hair at a hotel in the New Kingston area. While at the hotel, it is reported that he forcibly had sexual intercourse with the female.

The matter was reported to the police and an investigation launched. Bailey was subsequently charged after a question and answer interview was conducted in the presence of his attorney.

He is to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Monday, May 14.

Christopher Townsend, the lawyer retained by Capleton to represent him in a charge of rape, crying foul over the backward level of the investigation being carried out by the police. Townsend is accusing the cops of rushing to charge the internationally-renowned recording artiste without doing a thorough investigation.

Capleton, 51, is still in police custody after being arrested Friday and charged with rape by detectives at the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA).

The police say the complainant, a hairdresser, reported that he had sexual intercourse with her against her will inside a New Kingston hotel room where she had done to groom his hair on April 28.

But the entertainer's attorney, says he has whatsapp messages and voice notes of the woman "demanding that certain things be done."

Townsend said he offered to turn them over to police investigators who rejected them and advised the entertainer that he could use them for his defence at trial.

"It is their signature behaviour. They have an extremely backward approach towards investigations," he charged.

Townsend said when the woman became aware of the police investigation "she went ahead with her threat" and went to the police.

The police said the woman filed a report on May 2 and acknowledged that Capleton made a report to the Half Way Tree police that same day alleging that he was being extorted by the complainant.

Foota Hype and Tony Matterhorn have come out swinging against members of the Dancehall fraternity following the death of Chromatic Sound co-founder, Niko Chromatic.

They have dashed out criticism against Niko Chromatic's so-called friends in the industry for not doing more to help save his life. In a video rant posted on social media, the two veteran disc jockeys stop short of calling Popcaan by name however it was pretty clear they were talking about the 'Unruly Boss'.

Popular producer, NotNice also posted a message on Instagram blasting industry members who have been posting "rest in peace" on social media.

"Nuff a unu p***yhole a post bout miss u,sip,rip niko and when d yute did sick not even as much as a word a prayer unu neva give but now unu run gone dig up unu best pic wid d yute fi post, mi hate unu. From Gaza days memba a u gi vybz kartel the name worldboss dem deeven know that. One thing u Eva beg mi fi do and a fi voice yu on a riddim and mi promise yu seh mi a guh do it now not even that mi cyan do again 😢#jahkno," he wrote.

However despite the criticism Popcaan took to social media on Wednesday to share a heartfelt post, "We lost a real family yesterday but God knows best, you make us all proud while you was with us we will continue the dream that we all believe in from chromatic, unruly, chromatic one team one dream my scheme," he wrote.

There was indeed a lot of bawling out during Dovey Magnum's performance of her hot single, Bawl Out recently, as the Real G, in a moment of intense passions, accidentally pulled off her wig, exposing her corn rows.

The rising dancehall deejay is seen in a video making the rounds on social media, performing on stage and female patrons singing along to her popular track "Bawl Out."

While locked in the 6:20 position, singing, and gyrating her waistline, a small framed man was behind her having the time of his life. In an attempt to climb further, the man's slender fingers got tangled in her Rapunzel-like orange hair during the antics.

With one tug, the wig was pulled from her head exposing her basic cornrows.

While the crowd erupted in laughter, Dovey Magnum then walked to one corner of the stage and returned with her microphone still in hand she said, "pull up dat."

Motorists found operating their motor vehicle without a drivers' licence will not be given the two-day grace period as was proposed by Opposition Senators last week Friday.

They will not even be given the one-day grace period that was the compromise offered Friday morning by Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, Donna Scott-Mottley when the Upper House resumed its debate on the long-delayed Road Traffic Act.

However, Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Kamina Johnson Smith said the proposed fine for the breach has been reduced from $10,000 to $2,000. She argued that the Government did not see the proposed 48-hour grace period "as a useful and flexible way to get behavioural change. We believe that that is in fact the problem that the police struggle with now," said Johnson Smith while pointing out that the current Act allows motorists two days to present their drivers' licence to the police.

The Narcotics Police are now making arrangements for a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier and his wife to be interviewed in the presence of their attorney, Peter Champagnie, following their arrest in connection with the seizure of over 600 pounds of ganja, along with cash and other items, in Greater Portmore, St Catherine on Friday, May 11.

Reports are that between 12:15 a.m. and 4:15 a.m., narcotics detectives and officers from the St Catherine South Police Division conducted an operation at a premises in Greater Portmore, during which both compressed and loose ganja were reportedly found.

The ganja weighed a total of 651.8 pounds.

Cash totalling $265,000, along with a licensed firearm with ammunition and two motorcars were also seized.

Romario Brown, a tattoo artiste of a Stony Hill, St Andrew address, who is the accused in Dexter Pottinger's murder, was denied bail when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish court on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old's case was also transferred to the Committal Court and a June 15 mention date was set.

Pottinger's decomposing body was discovered with multiple stab wounds at his Yarico Place home in Kingston 20, Jamaica last year August.

Shortly after, Brown was arrested and charged when he reportedly confessed to killing Pottinger.

The popular fashion designer/stylist had reportedly bailed Brown on August 29, the same day he was reportedly killed by the accused at his home.

'It is what largely shapes our attraction - not only visual impression - and results in genuine sexual pleasure between men and women,' he said

Rooms at the 'legal brothel' cost between £17.75 and £29.50 per hour - not including the sex doll.

Founder of the hotel, Dmitry Alexandrov said that 36 per cent of Russians are unhappy with their sex lives.

'Creating a full scale leisure adult centre in Russia is not only a legal and safe way to improve your sex life, it is also a step towards fighting one of oldest problems in Russia - the violent exploitation of women,' he said, referring to prostitution.

'It is also a great help to people with psychiatric disorders.

'In Spain, for example, 30 per cent of clients are people with mental or physiological problems.'

After each client, the dolls are thoroughly disinfected with 'special solutions' according to 'international standards', he said.

This guarantees there will be no risk of infection, he claimed.

'Some men simply cannot improve their sexual relations with women on their own, which leads to latent dissatisfaction, which, in turn, can evolve into aggression,' he said.

'This issue can only be solved by a professional 'call girl,' who is ready to hear him out and make his sexual fantasies come true for money.'

Police in North Carolina are under fire after a video emerged of an officer choking and slamming an African-American man.

In a video posted to Facebook, an officer in a tactical vest can be seen pushing a young African-American man in formal attire against a wall, choking him and then hurling him on the ground in front of a Waffle House.

"Get your hands off me", the man repeatedly shouts.

The town of Warsaw, North Carolina's chief of police told the Raleigh News & Observer that his department was investigating the incident, as was district attorney Ernie Lee.

"We are currently investigating the whole incident, interviewing witnesses and gathering additional video", police chief Eric Southerland said in a statement.

Anthony Wall had taken his 16-year-old sister out for food after she attended prom and got into an argument with Waffle House employees, the 22-year-old Mr Wall told ABC11. When the police arrived, he said, things turned violent.

"I was pretty much trying to scream for air and trying to breathe because he was holding my throat and that's when I got aggressive with him because you are choking me", Mr Wall said.

He was charged with resisting arrest and with disorderly conduct relating to his altercation with the restaurant staff.

Australian Reggae and Dancehall producer Jake Savona's latest project brings the unique flavor of two Caribbean countries together. Havana Meets Kingston is a compilation project that focuses on bringing the "best of both worlds" through the music cultures of, Cuba and Jamaica, something that has never been done before.

Savona (aka Mista Savona) saw an opportunity to marry both islands' outstanding music styles by bringing a host of legendary and influential artistes together in one place to produce tracks in Spanish, English and Jamaican patois. The project features over 50 Cuban, Jamaican and International artistes such as Gaston Joya, Brenda Navarette, Julito Padron, Beatriz Marquez, Leroy Sibbles, Lutan Fyah, Randy Valentine, Micah Shemiah, Cali P and Glasford 'Porti' Manning & The Jewels. The main goal was to "bring Jamaican sound system and bass culture together with Cuba's electrifying and virtuosic Afro-Cuban and jazz traditions" and the end product was phenomenal.

The combination of Jamaican roots reggae, dub and dancehall with Cuban salsa, rumba and Afro-Cuban sounds has created a collaboration that, according to one of the contributors involved, is both fun and fresh. The dynamic duo Sly & Robbie, Bongo Hermon and Bo Peep have all contributed their music styles to this project and visited Cuba in order to record with musicians there.

Talking on the project Sly said "It was a great experience working on this musical venture; I got to work with some very talented people from here in Jamaica and in Cuba. This offering is something very new and at the same time deeply rooted, cultured and bold."

The first single off the album is Carnival which features British-Jamaican singer Randy Valentine and Cuban singer Solis.

Distributed by VPal Music, the album was released in in two parts - the first in November 2017 and the second in March 2018. Following its release, many of the musicians came together and embarked on a 3 week tour in Australia and New Zealand.

Upcoming promotional plans include an album launch to be done later on in Jamaica. A documentary capturing various aspects of the project's development in both Jamaica and Cuba has also been created, with contributions from filmmaker Rick Mereki, producer Lauren Rosa Beck and photographer Lara Merrington.

While Kartel's lawyer, Tom Tavares Finson could not confirm if Kartel had been transferred to St Catherine District prison he however pointed to Kartel's upcoming appeal on July 7th and expressed optimism about the deejay's chanced to have the conviction quashed.

"I believe that we have an excellent chance to overturn the conviction, we shall see on July 7th," he said.

Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, along with three co-accused, including Kahiro Jones, were convicted of the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams.

They are all now serving life sentences as a result of the conviction.

Jailed businessman Huey Gowdie has failed in his bid to have Jamaica's second-highest court throw out his conviction and 10-year prison sentence for shooting well-known businessman Shango Jackson to death in the upscale St Andrew community of Beverly Hills.

The Court of Appeal, in its decision handed down last Friday, rejected legal arguments by Gowdie's attorneys that aspects of his 2016 murder trial were unfair and that the sentence was "manifestly excessive".

"The application for leave to appeal against conviction and sentence is refused," the panel of three judges ruled.

"In all the circumstances, the sentence cannot be regarded as manifestly excessive and there is no basis for this court to interfere with the sentence imposed," the added.

Gowdie was found guilty of manslaughter in the Home Circuit Court in May 2016, four years after he shot Jackson three times during a dispute at the Shenstone Drive premises they shared in July 2012.

Nearly two months after his conviction, Gowdie was sentenced to 10 years in prison at hard labour by Justice Evon Brown, who presided over the trial.

At the time of the killing, Gowdie was involved in a romantic relationship with Jackson's ex-wife. The couple lived in a separate house at the same Shenstone Drive premises where Shango Jackson resided.

Yardflex has confirmed that popular sound system selector, Niko Chromatic, has died.

The selector's immediate family confirmed his passing, but up to press time neither them nor his Chromatic family had made an official statement.

It is being reported that the Chromatic selector passed away on Tuesday following a long battle with kidney disease.

Niko Chromatic, whose real name is Nicholas Grant, was diagnosed with renal failure in 2015 and over the past two years, his health has been on a steady decline.

Last year a Gofundme account was created to raise funds for the dancehall disc jockey to get life-saving treatment for his illness overseas. There was also a special event held November last year to raise funds to send him overseas for treatment. Many showed their support, but the fund fell short of the target.

Several entertainers and fans donated to the Niko Chromatic Medical Fund.

Niko Chromatic is a co-founder of the famed Chromatic Sound System.

Several tributes have started to pour in for the much loved selector.

Friends and music insiders have been sending condolences via social media.

The security forces on Saturday recovered another firearm in St James, bringing to nine the number of illegal guns and over 300 rounds of assorted ammunition recovered in the parish over a 24-hour period.

Four AK-47 assault rifles were among the weapons taken out of the hands of hoodlums during the clampdown .

The guns were all found in the Ramble Hill area of the parish during sustained operations by members of the security forces. The team first found four M-16 rifles and over 150 assorted rounds on a premises in the area on Friday, police said.

Four bullet proof vests and magazines were also recovered. Then before the day was done, they found four handguns and over 100 rounds of ammunition in the same area.

The team returned to the area on Saturday where they again reaped success when they seized another handgun and several ammunition.

The police have released the identities of two gunmen who reported attempted to commit robberies and murders, and were subsequently killed during a shootout with law enforcers in Islington, St Mary on Friday night.

The men have been identified as 26-year-old Shavaughn Gordon of Smith Lane, Kingston, and 38-year-old Kadini Harrison, otherwise called 'Kaddi,' of Baccas Wood, Islington St Mary.

Two illegal guns were also reported seized during a search for the men after the exchange of gunfire.

According to the police's Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), "the Jamaica Constabulary Force's strategy to deal with the displacement of criminals resulted in the plans of four men (mainly) from Kingston, contracted to carry out killings and robberies in St Mary, being thwarted when they were intercepted on Sports Road in Islington."

Reports are that about 11:30 p.m., a team of officers was on patrol in the area when the driver of a Nissan Bluebird motorcar with the men aboard was signalled to stop.

The driver complied, but the men opened gunfire at the police from the vehicle.The attack was repelled and the men abandoned the car and ran. A search of the community was later conducted and two of the men were found dead with gunshot wounds.

A .357 Magnum handgun with six expended cartridge casings, and a Colt pistol with six .45 cartridges, along with a plastic glove with eleven .45 cartridges, were also reportedly found.

The JCF's communication arm indicated that head of the St Mary Police Division, Superintendent Bobette Morgan, has committed that the police will prevent criminals from escalating crime in the rural parish.

The victims in the plane crash have been identified following the discovery of the crash site in Georgia, Trelawny.

They have been identified as Rojorn Campbell, Carlon Snipe and 43-year- old Miguel Jones of Windward Road address in Kingston.

Reports are that about 4:30 p.m.,a Cessna 206 single engine aircraft domestic carrier departed the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James on Thursday, May 3, enroute to the Tinson Pen Aerodrome in Kingston with Campbell as the captain, and Snipe and Jones as passengers.

It was reported that contact was lost with the aircraft while it was in the airspace over Trelawny. A search was subsequently launched, and the aircraft was found destroyed in a densely wooded section of Georgia,Trelawny. The bodies of the three (3) passengers were seen in the area.

The search for a Cessna single engine aircraft which disappeared in Trelawny on Thursday ended on a tragic note when the wreckage of the plane along with the bodies of the two pilots and a mechanic were found in Trelawny shortly before 5 o'clock Friday afternoon.

The plane had departed Sangster International Airport in St. James for Tinson Pen Aerodrome in Kingston. It went off radar about 4:35 p.m. in Duncans, Trelawny.

Major Basil Jarrett, Civil Military Co-operation and Media Officer at the Jamaica Defence Force, gave the update.

Jamaican actress and filmmaker Donisha Prendergast, the granddaughter of reggae legend Bob Marley, was detained by the California police earlier this week three of her friends as they were leaving an AirBnB home to prepare for a socially conscious event they organised.

A neighbour reportedly called police on the group of friends - three of whom were said to be black - while witnessing them depart the premises with their luggage.

"There are four police officers here," said 33 year old Prendergast in a live video post in which she spoke to the apparent owner of the home via a phone call in front of the officers. "We watched your neighbour call the police."

The police demanded that the owner appear in person to verify the identity of Prendergast, who apparently was the one who booked the accommodation.

An officer told Prendergast that she was being detained along the street in order for the officers to investigate and to "cover all our bases".

Prendergast told the cop, "You are investigating but I have a lot of sh*t to do. I have an event to do".

An actress, filmmaker and advocate, Prendergast said she was in California to put on an event ironically titled 'We will Rise Together'. She alluded to racial discrimination as a factor behind the incident.

"So much things to say right now. I got surrounded by the police for being black in a white neighbourhood," Prendergast, the daughter of Sharon Marley, wrote on Instagram.

She added: "I am sad and irritated to see that fear is still the first place police officers go in their pursuit to serve and protect, to the point that protocol supersedes their ability to have discernment. Many have suffered and died in moments like these. That's crazy reality check. Give thanks for life and the ability to stand our ground. We are stronger together. Use your voice collectively."

The incident is the latest in the US to stir up passions about institutional racism and echoes of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Last month, two black men were arrested at Starbucks, and led away in handcuffs accused of trespassing, after the manager called police, saying the men refused to buy anything or leave.

Also in April, a black former White House staffer under Barack Obama, said a neighbor called cops on him while he was moving into his New York City apartment.

A member of the JDF died Wednesday night at a Guest House on Brunswick Avenue in Spanish Town.

Reports are that the 33-year-old married soldier was with an 18-year-old female, and they both went to a gaming lounge to have drinks.

Reports are that the soldier had a popular stout, and the female chose a beer. Other reports are that he had about 12 energy drinks and took a Viagra tablet. The soldier and the female left the bar and went to a room on the said premises, where they had sexual intercourse.

It is further reported that the soldier went to the bathroom immediately after having completed intercourse. The female reported that she then heard a loud stumbling and gave an alarm after running from the room. The soldier was found with blood running from his mouth,nose and genitals.

He was lying on his back in the bathtub.

Police who responded found the soldier lying naked in the bathtub.

The female companion reportedly stated that during intercourse he complaint of chest pains and went to the bathroom where he collapsed. It is speculated that the Red bull and Viagra speed up his heart rate to about 15 times the normal speed.

An associate professor of history responded Tuesday night to Kanye West's argument that black people had chosen to be slaves, providing some context about the brutality of the slave trade.

"When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice," the rapper had said earlier in the day during an appearance on TMZ Live.

Blair L. M. Kelley, who works at North Carolina State University and has taught numerous African-American studies courses, said she has heard "uninformed people" make similar claims.

"I've had young men in my courses say 'they never would have enslaved me,'" she tweeted.

Blair LM Kelley

✔

@profblmkelley

Haven't watched the whole Kanye event today, working my way up to it. I will say, that a milder version of the "slavery is a choice" argument is made by uninformed people all the time. I've had young men in my courses say "they never would have enslaved me."

So she decided to post a little history lesson.

"People aren't aware of the alienation of people ripped from their homes, abused, walked hundreds of miles across Africa, sometimes so far they ceased understanding the language spoken around them," she wrote.

✔

@profblmkelley

People aren't aware of the alienation of people ripped from their homes, abused, walked hundreds of miles across Africa, sometimes so far they ceased understanding the language spoken around them...

She then referred to the slave castles of Ghana, in which people were held in windowless dungeons, or "slave holes," before being loaded onto British ships and sold in the Americas during the 18th century. Former President Barack Obama compared them to Nazi concentration camps in Germany.

✔

@profblmkelley

People don't know the brutality of the slave castles were people were held on the coasts, branded still holding out hope for escape, or reconnection with loved one....

Kelley went on to describe the horrific conditions slaves faced, both while being transported across the ocean and after they left the ships.

✔

@profblmkelley

Could they have survived the devastation of the middle passage, packed less humanely than animals below the deck of the ship, chained to people who were sick and dying?

✔

@profblmkelley

Could they have survived being sold like a good at market by people in a foreign land speaking a foreign tongue? Could they have survived torturous work, in scraps of clothing eating the food that was unwanted?

She pointed out that survivors "managed to make a way to make a new culture, remake family and faith," even after enduring abuse for generations.

✔

@profblmkelley

Not only did my ancestors and Kanye's ancestors survive, they managed to make a way to make a new culture, remake family and faith. And in the process, make a culture so formidable that it continues to change the world.

Kelley ended her thread by coming back to West's comments.

✔

@profblmkelley

Slavery wasn't their choice at any step. We know that freedom was always their choice, resistance was their choice when they couldn't escape.

✔

@profblmkelley

Denigrating their lives at this point for attention and spare change is such an embarrassment.

Dancehall professor, Bounty Killer, has formed an alliance with the National Council on Drug Abuse.

An online promotion by the National Council on Drug Abuse features Rodney Price, aka Bounty Killer on their "Talk The Truth" initiative encouraging teens to stay away from smoking and not make the same mistakes he did.

In a documentary released by the National Council on Drug Abuse, Bounty Killer warns a group of teens about the dangers of smoking marijuana. The dancehall deejay in sharing his childhood experiences explained some of the troubles he underwent as a result of using ganja as a teenager.

Bounty Killer also explained that other entertainers can use their celebrity to help raise awareness.

Entertainers Ikaya and Devin Di Dakta recently partnered with National Council on Drug Abuse to promote getting High grades over "hi-grade."

Word on the street is that Rihanna and Popcaan have gotten together for a musical collab.

The Bajan pop star and "Unruly Boss" teamed up for a Dancehall banger that could be featured on RihRih's coming Reggae album and Popcaan's forthcoming project, sources close to the artistes say.

"The Rihanna and Popcaan track is already recorded we just don't know when to release of if it should be featured on her album or his upcoming project," sources say. "One thing for sure is its gonna drop in the next few months and its a certified hit."

Rihanna and Popcaan linked up in Barbados back in December after she went back home for the street renaming ceremony for 'Rihanna Drive' during Barbados Independence Day.

More than 90 people, including one person of interest, were detained on Thursday as the police and military searched for the gunmen involved in Tuesday's mass shootings in Grange Hill, Westmoreland.

Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson said the 94 detainees are being processed.

He said the police are still looking for the men who were listed as wanted on Wednesday.

"Of the list that was put out yesterday with five wanted persons and five persons of interest, one of the persons of interest have turned in themselves, the others haven't. I would encourage the persons on the list to turn themselves in by 6 o'clock this evening...and then obviously, we'll conduct operations to try and find those persons who haven't turned themselves in," he declared.

Police and soldiers raided several communities.

Thirteen alleged gang members linked to murders and shootings in Westmoreland, were also captured in the raids conducted by the security forces as well as the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC). Assistant Commissioner Fitz Bailey, head of C-TOC, said the police are determined to dismantle criminal gangs in Westmoreland.

"The focus will be looking at the organisation and the network from which they are from. In fact, I will tell you that they are from what we call the Dexter Street gang, these 13 persons... They will be taken into Kingson for further processing," he said.

He said the Dexter Street gang and the rival Darling Street gang have been in a deadly feud over the last year and are responsible for several murders and shootings in the area. An AK-47 rifle and several rounds of ammunition were seized during the operation.

Seventeen people were shot, seven fatally, in Tuesday's attacks. Two children were among the victims.

The Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) has launched an investigation following the arrest and charge of Peter Abrahams, Councillor for the Bog Walk Division, with negligent use of a firearm.

Abrahams was on Wednesday charged and later offered bail.

He was charged following the seizure of his licensed firearm by the police on Tuesday morning during a spot check on the Bog Walk main road.

It was reportedly discovered in a car in which four men were travelling.

"Once a licence holder is questioned by the police in relation to his licensed firearm, the authority is usually notified by the police and that will cause the authority to investigate the individual to see if the person can continue to be entrusted with a licensed firearm," Shane Dalling, Chief Executive Officer of the FLA, said of the probe of Mr. Abrahams.

The four men who were found in possession of the gun are still being questioned by investigators.

Westmoreland police have listed five men from Grange Hill in the parish as wanted and said the suspects are being asked to turn themselves in to the police by midday Thursday,.

The list was released by the law enforcement officials on Wednesday evening, following the shooting death of seven people including two children in the community.

Listed as 'wanted' are:

- Isaiah Perry, otherwise called 'Matthew Perry' or 'Cat' of Kings Valley, Grange Hill, who is wanted for shooting;

- Richard Hamilton otherwise called 'Brutus' or 'Mad Move', 23-year-old, of Paul Island district, Grange Hill, Westmoreland. He is of dark complexion, slim build and is wanted for murder and other related incidents in the division.

- Haldane Hamilton otherwise called 'Fishy' of Paul Island district, Grange Hill. He is of dark complexion, medium build and about 5 feet 11 inches tall. He is wanted for murder;

- Burton Shearer otherwise called 'Bap', 49-year-old of Church Lincoln district, Grange Hill, Westmoreland. He is of dark complexion, slim build and 5 feet 11 inches tall. He is wanted for murder.

"These men are considered armed and dangerous; as such their whereabouts must be reported to the police immediately through Crime Stop at 311, 811 or the Police 119 emergency number," said the police who released the photos of four of the suspects.

The lawmen are also reminding people that "it is not only an offence to harbour criminals and provide a safe haven for them but it also places the lives of family and friends at increased risks of attack."

A total of seven persons were killed in a number of attacks on communities in and around Grange Hill since Tuesday morning, which the police have linked to a lotto scam.

It is being reported that about 8:30 a policeman pulled his gun on a windscreen wiper and opened fire in Liguanea, putting persons lives at risk and actually hitting an innocent female bystander. Reports are that the woman, who was going about her legal business, and just happened to be in the way of the hot-headed policeman's bullets, picked up three shot. .

The bullet missed the intended target, who was said to be the windscreen wiper, and hit the innocent woman instead.

This morning, windscreen wiper, Christopher Rhoden, told The Gleaner his side of the story.

Rhoden said he approached the man's car and attempted to wipe his windscreen but he would not allow it.

"Him select up him gun, so mi say, 'bossy what dat fah, a wah yuh a go do? Kill mi inna de mawnin ya?' Him say him nah tek no check from no man,".

He said the driver then parked at a gas station, exited the car and chased him.

"Run him a run mi dung now, and select the gun, and fire it ... and it (the bullet) end up in a woman right over deh soh; fi nutten at all," Rhoden alleged.

Schools in Grange Hill, Westmoreland, and surrounding environs were closed early on Wednesday as fear gripped sections of the community following Monday's murderous rampage by gunmen who shot and killed multiple persons and injured several others in separate incidents.

The security forces have blanketed the community and top government and law enforcement officials including National Security Minister, Dr Horace Chang and police commissioner Major General Antony Anderson as well as Member of Parliament Dr Wykeham McNeill, the mayor of savanna-la-mar and the Westmoreland custos are now visiting the area.

The carnage began about 7:30 last night in a section of the community called Sterling when gunmen broke into a house and opened fire on 39-year-old Nadine Rowe and her 12-year-old son Nicoy Bourne, killing them.

Hours later, gunmen invaded a bar in Top Lincoln between 11 o' clock and 12 midnight and unleashed a barrage of gunfire on patrons killing two persons and injuring several others.

Around the same time, men armed with guns carried out a drive-by in Morgan Bridge shooting several persons including Odaine Drummond, who died from his injuries.

A woman had to be rushed to hospital after being accidentally shot by a licensed firearm holder on the grounds of the Sovereign Centre in St Andrew this morning.

Its reported that the gun owner opened fire on a windscreen wiper which hit the woman causing her to fall to the ground.

A medical doctor and bystanders rushed to the scene and assisted the injured woman into a Sports Utility Vehicle and took her to hospital. The woman seemed to have been shoot three times, twice in the abdomen and once in a leg, the doctor surmised.

According to a report in the Gleaner, their newsteam attempted to speak with the alleged shooter, who was accompanied by a policeman, but he refused to answer questions.The shooter was shielded by the policeman, who took him inside Sovereign.

Another policeman reportedly instructed the alleged shooter not to speak.

However, the windscreen wiper, who has been named as Christopher Rhoden, and who was the alleged target of the gunfire, told the newspaper his side of the story.

Rhoden said he approached the man's car and attempted to wipe his windscreen but he would not allow it. The windscreen wiper, Rhoden, is quoted as saying: "Him select up him gun, so mi say, "bossy what dat fah, a wah yuh a go do? Kill mi inna de mawnin ya?", him say him nah tek no check from no man,".

He said the driver then parked at a gas station, exited the car and chased him.

"Run him a run mi dung now, and select the gun, and fire it ... and it (the bullet) end up in a woman right over deh soh; fi nutten at all," Rhoden alleged.

Two male bystanders who alleged that they witnessed the incident echoed Rhoden's account.

"Mi call to the man before the man fire the gun, enuh, an de man still fire the gun. De man is a wicked man. Dem people deh nuh fi have gun. Because mi call to de man, when mi call to the man, the man turn roun and look pon mi!" alleged one of the eyewitnesses.

will.i.am broke down with emotion while discussing Kanye West's recent Twitter tirade during an appearance on Wednesday's episode of Good Morning Britain. He added: 'That statement was one of the most ignorant statements that anybody who came from the hood could ever say about their ancestors, that slavery is a choice. What are you talking about.'

The Voice judge, 43, admitted he 'wanted to cry' when he saw his friend's latest tweet, in which the rapper, 40, claimed slavery was a 'choice'.

In an impassioned rant that garnered plenty of online support, Will claimed Kanye was 'ignorant' and that his remarks were 'harmful', adding that although they were friends, he could no longer recognise Kanye as being the same person.

Kanye has been widely criticised after an appearance on Tuesday's TMZ Live, when he said: 'When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice' later reiterating the comment in a series of tweets.

Will hit back at the remarks, admitting: 'That broke my heart, because I thought about my grandma, who was born in 1920, and her connection with her mom who raised her, who was born in the late 1800s.

'And my grandmother's grandma, who was a slave. And when you're a slave, you're owned.

'You don't choose if you're owned. When you're a slave you're deprived of education. That's not choice, that's by force.'

Claiming that Kanye is 'ignorant', he continued: 'So I understand the need to have free thought, but if your thoughts aren't researched, that is just going to hurt those that are still in conditions where it's not choice...

'That when they go down the street and there's a liqueur store and fast-food restaurants and your education is not being funded the same way that it is being in Calabasas, when governments stifle and limit the amount of money that goes to Chicago, Bronx, Watts, 5th Ward Mississippi, East Los Angeles, where I'm from.'

The Greater Portmore and Kingston Central Police are investigating the abduction and killing of a cosmetologist by gunmen two weeks ago.

The cops say 23-year-old Aneika Thompson, a resident of George's Lane in Central Kingston, was abducted when she left home to visit relatives in the Waltham Park Road area.

They say a few days after she was reported missing, residents of Waterford in St. Catherine saw a woman running from a vehicle crying for help.

The woman was shot several times in the head and her body bundled back into the vehicle by armed men.

Crime scene investigators found a pair of slippers at the scene.Relatives of the missing woman have identified the slippers as belonging to Miss Thompson. The cops are awaiting DNA on blood samples taken from the scene for a positive identification.

It is reported that Miss Thompson became a target of gunmen in her community last year after she resisted their advances.

Wisynco Group Limited has withdrawn the legal action it filed against the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) over the public education campaign 'Are You Drinking Yourself Sick'.

It has also agreed to pay the legal costs for the foundation, a non-profit organisation.

Chairman of Wisynco William Mahfood said the decision was made after the heart foundation filed court papers indicating that it had "inadvertently and unintentionally" included the CranWata beverage in a social media post related to the campaign.

Mahfood said the foundation went further to indicate that it has taken the necessary steps to ensure the post was no longer accessible on the Internet and that no other "offending" material related to the beverage would be published.

Lawyers for both sides appeared in the Supreme Court today when, according to Mahfood, his company accepted the sworn statement of the foundation.

Wisynco triggered public backlash last week when The Gleaner first reported that it had filed legal action against the foundation to prevent the non-government organisation from repeating information posted on Instagram last month as part of its campaign to warn Jamaicans about the harmful health effects of excessive sugar intake.

The Jamaican conglomerate asserted the post conveyed inaccurate information about the sugar content in its CranWata beverage and claimed, as a result, that it was defamatory.

A magistrate Monday sentenced a pastor, his wife and daughter to four years in prison after they were found guilty of pouring hot liquid on a man following what they described as a "spiritual warfare" two years ago.

Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett imposed the sentence on Nigel Morgan, his wife Althia, and their 23-year-old daughter, Crystal, following the assault on Cuthbert "Mafia" Victory, which left him with burns to his back, shoulders, chest, and face.

Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delplesche had argued that the trio had planned the assault on Victory on April 9, 2016.

A video of the incident, which was widely circulated on social media, showed the older Morgans holding Victory while their daughter pours on him what was later revealed to be a hot liquid.

The video was not tendered in evidence, reportedly because police did not secure a deposition from the person who did the recording.

In her defence, Crystal Morgan told the court that she was feeling ill and was about to make a cup of tea when she heard noises that suggested that her parents were under attack.

"I felt as if my soul left my body," she told the Kingstown Magistrate Court even as she acknowledged that she could not recall how she left the kitchen on the upper floor of their two-storey house, to the street, where she poured the hot water on the man.

She told the court that even up to the point of giving evidence she did not know who it was that she had hurt.

In their defence, the older Morgans presented themselves as having been under attack by Victory, a 39-year-old construction worker, who had gone to visit a friend who was the Morgans' neighbour.

However, they admitted in court that they had attempted to use olive oil on the man while praying for him even though he had not requested any spiritual help.

But the state's main witness, Clint Antoine, who was the Morgans' neighbour at the time of the incident, told the court that the pastor and his wife had been engaged in an exchange of words with Victory.

He said during the fracas Morgan placed his hand on the bottle then placed it above Victory's forehead. The witness said Victory swung his hand and Mrs. Morgan held on to him and they began fighting.

Antoine told the court that the trio continued fighting before Victory was subdued by the Morgans and the daughter then poured the contents of a black and silver kettle on him.

Macka Diamond's latest music video for "Prove It" featuring fellow artiste, Spotlight Kunta has set tongues wagging, with many wondering on social media if their collaboration is just musical, or if there is a tad bit more.

The music video tells the tale of reality series which is entitled "Spotlight on the Diamond". This is just soooooo cute.

Anyway, it shows Macka Diamond and Spotlight Kunta all giggly and acting like young lovers.

Macka Diamond is expected to milk this for all the attention that shw could possibly get, so, naturally, she is tight-lipped about the actual staus of her relationsip with Spolight.

Macka keeps fans and haters alike guessing whether or not she is enjoying an intimate relationship with Spotlight Kunta, however,she did reveal that Spotlight Kunta is working on the "Spotlight on the Diamond" reality series.

This is not the first time Macka Diamond has appeared on camera with and Spotlight Kunta, In 2006 Spotlight Kunta was Macka's love interest in the popular song "Bun Him" featuring Black-ER.

Sting and Shaggy's new, island-inspired collaborative album 44/876 is available now at all retailers and digital platforms on A&M/Interscope Records

In creating 44/876, Sting and Shaggy drew from the many surprising connections at the heart of their music. With its title referencing their home country codes, 44/876 first and foremost honors the duo's love for Jamaica: Shaggy's homeland, and the place where Sting penned such classics as The Police's "Every Breath You Take."

Furthering each artist's exploration of reggae and its transcendent rhythms, the lead single "Don't Make Me Wait" - which debuted at #1 on Billboard's digital reggae singles chart - came to life after the musicians were introduced by Martin Kierszenbaum

(Sting's manager, Chairman of The Cherrytree Music Company

and Shaggy's former A&R executive).

The correlating music video, directed by Gil Green, was filmed in Kingston, Jamaica and has garnered over 8.5 million views on YouTube.

Although the initial plan was for Sting to lend his vocals and musical finesse solely to this track, the two discovered that their distinct voices blended with incredible ease. Compelled by their creative synergy, Sting and Shaggy soon amassed an album's worth of material. "Everything about it is organic--it was never planned," says Shaggy of 44/876.

Recording in New York City, they enlisted a lineup of esteemed musicians and writers from Jamaica and New York, including the legendary Robbie Shakespeare of Sly and Robbie, dancehall sensation Aidonia, Morgan Heritage (courtesy of CTBC Music Group), Agent Sasco as well as Branford Marsalis and Sting's longtime guitarist,

Sting and Shaggy will take their collaboration on the road this summer when the two Grammy-award winning artists embark on a European tour of various historic venues, performing their most celebrated hits as well as songs off their new album together.

Fans, critics and fellow musicians have already shown incredible support for 44/876.

Ninjaman is obviously resigned to the fact that he has at least a quarter of a century left behind bars, so, he's doing the only sensible thing - making the best of a bad existence.

Over the weekend, footage surfaced online of the veteran recording artiste allegedly in prison and looking quite upbeat...like nuff tings a gwaan fi him. You woulda never believe say is prison him deh..

The video clips shows Ninjaman, dressed in virginal white and sporting a brand new pair of Desert Clarks. He's saying all sorts of stuff..talking about his appearance and how clean he's looking. UP UP UP Genna

Last December Ninjaman was sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder conviction. He was given was given 25 years at hard labour for the 2009 murder of Ricardo 'Ricky Trooper' Johnson and 20 years for shooting with intent.

Judge Martin Gayle says he must serve at least 25 years in prison before he is eligible to be released.

Finally, Love and Hip-hop Atlanta viewers who have been watching Spice on the show this season saw her in a full blown brawl on Monday's show....and what a brawl is was, physical and lyrical. Bare tingz. Some loved it, others thought it was a bit ratchet.

Anyway, the Queen of the Stage is seen arguing with her close friend Tommie Lee about her drinking problem which caused a delay with their upcoming music video, and she went all out...no holding back her spitfire lyrics..

In another scene Spice is on a ranch with cast members, and here is where things get SPICY. Spice decides that the most appropriate thing to do is fight newcomer Tokyo Vanity. So she hurls a plate with cake at Tokyo, during an argument and, of course, all hell bruk loose.

After all the drama, Spice, being Spice, just had to take to Instagram to say her piece:....''yea there are a few fans who believe that because of my status I should not be involved in such a brawl....however I refuse to sit down and allow any one to disrespect me regardless of me being the current "Queen of the dancehall so this post is just to tell the "Few" haters to ......bleeep.............!!!

The North-American-based JetBlue Airways is confirmed as one of the premium sponsors of Reggae Sumfest 2018. Joe Bogdanovich, DownSound Entertainment (DSE) CEO, who acquired the Sumfest Brand in 2016 welcomes the addition of JetBlue to the raft of sponsors. "The fact that JetBlue, an overseas based company, recognizes the value of the Reggae Sumfest Brand on the global scene clearly demonstrates its growth in influence and importance over its history. Jamaican music, since the 1960s, with the emergence of icons such as Bob Marley, Toots Hibbert, and Jimmy Cliff, has not only captured the imagination of numerous people across the globe but has been integral to the mushrooming of Brand Jamaica. Reggae Sumfest is, perhaps, the most influential vehicle to leverage and sustain Brand Jamaica and further promote the island and its music", Mr. Bogdanovich said.

Mr Sepp Donahower, Director Global Marketing for DSE, shared that, "Jet Blue is the official and exclusive Airline Partner for Reggae Sumfest 2018, and will be the presenting sponsor for the Live Stream of Reggae Sumfest 2018 on all DSE platforms. Since acquisition of Reggae Sumfest in 2016, DSE has been engaged in bringing world class high production Live Streaming and Video content of Reggae Sumfest to the world with ever expanding reach, on multiple streaming and broadcast platforms. In 2017 during festival week, Reggae Sumfest had over 1,250,000 views watching the Live Stream and uploaded videos." Reggae Sumfest for 2018 is expected to continue this explosive streaming and viewing growth, which brought Jet Blue in as a presenting partner for the stream. Fans will be able to access the Live Stream for 2018 through the Live Streaming page on the reggaesumfest.com website." But, as Bogdanovich points out, "there is nothing that can replace the energy and excitement of being at Catherine Hall live".

Past festivals and videos can be viewed on the YouTube channel "Reggae Sumfest Live Streaming & Video.

JetBlue, on the other hand, is elated to take part in Reggae Sumfest and will be working with Reggae Sumfest and the Jamaica Tourist Board to give away hotel and air ticket inclusive packages for two lucky winners to come to the festival from the United States. Additionally, plans are in place for a joint promotion locally to give away tickets to the festival.

"As the official airline partner of Reggae Sumfest, we are thrilled to be a part of this extraordinary event that promotes Jamaican culture and brings people together through their love of music. Reggae Sumfest is a great opportunity to showcase Jamaica as the relevant destination that it is, while also benefitting its tourism industry and local economy", stated Giselle Cortes, Director of International Airports and Commercial. "JetBlue strives to support the communities we serve by providing our customers, business partners and crew members with outstanding experiences such as this one", she added.

JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 40 million customers a year to 102 cities in the US,Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of 1,000 daily flights. For more information please visit jetblue.com.

"We are very proud of what we have been able to achieve in the past two years. We built on the firm foundation laid by the Summerfest Team and it is our intention to grow the festival further. In keeping with that objective, we are offering patrons more and more each year", Mr Bogdanovich said.

Garth Henriques, the father of international reggae star, Sean Paul, passed away on Thursday after spending over two months in hospital battling from an ailment.

The artiste, whose real name is Sean Paul Francis Henriques, updated fans on Twitter: "With deep regret, I announce the passing of my father, Garth Henriques," tweeted Sean Paul."On behalf of our family, I wish to thank everyone who has offered their kind words and sincere condolences in this time of bereavement. I wish to extend my appreciation to the doctors, nurses and medical team at the University Hospital of the West Indies, and many fan, friends and family who donated blood and offered good wishes." Last month, he reported that his father was in the intensive care unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), and was in dire need of O Negative blood.

"We have been asking family and friends to give blood if they can, but right now he's in dire need of blood, so if anybody can help out, I would greatly appreciate it," Sean Paul had said.

In a video posted on social media back then, the artiste said his father's illness was the reason he had been keeping a low profile musically over the last few months.

He did not disclose what the illness was.

Hopes of seeing his father improve were dashed on Thursday, as the family reported that the senior Henriques had passed away.

The entertainer has asked for some level of privacy during the challenging period for the family.

Female artiste Dovey MAgnum scored a hit in the dancehall with the sexplicit song Bawl Out and now, gospel artiste Chozenn has chosen to ride di riddim with Christian lyrics.

Chozenn debuted the song recently, and it has even been played on radio already. However, many say that Chozenn has gone a bit too far.

In his defence he stated: "Naturally, this song will provoke emotions, but this move of God shows anything bad can become good. I am not an escapist I strongly oppose escapism, The harsh reality social media, and television as poisoned the minds of our Children. Rape, molestation, early pregnancy and so much more is sadly what is happening to our youth, Music is powerful, the core agenda is to target our youth and provide an option to what they're hearing, in our taxis, buses, supermarkets, communities and surprisingly our homes. Reggae and Dancehall is Jamaica's authentic sound to the beat as it captivates the mind effortlessly. As a minister of the Gospel in these last days, we have to use wisdom and tap into our culture and invade it positively. However, while we marvel men God gets all the glory, we use songs and methods like these to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord works in a mysterious way this is another way he is using me (Chozenn) to share his word radically. I refuse to accept that this general is lost, If you are not a Christian while reading this you, yes you! I am praying for you to accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour. If you are saved and overly critical and deeply religious it's not for you but don't be quick to Judge God will be back to Judge the hearts of Men. I love you all and I am praying for this nation and world." [HOSEA 4:6]

US President Donald Trump has cancelled a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, blaming tremendous anger and open hostility from the North.

He said it was possible a meeting could still take place but warned North Korea against committing foolish acts.

The summit aimed to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons and would have been the first time a sitting US president met a North Korean leader.

Doubts had emerged on both sides whether the talks would take place.

Trump's announcement marks a fresh twist in the turbulent relationship between himself and Mr. Kim.

Meanwhile, a commemorative coin to mark the occasion is still available for purchase, the White House says. The coin bears the images of Tump and Kim and the year, 2018, and also the words 'peace talks'.

Lawyers representing jailed dancehall entertainers Vybz Kartel and Shawn "Storm" Campbell will have to wait until July in order to apply to introduce fresh evidence in their case before the Appeal Court.

Justice Dennis Morrison, President of the Appeal Court, declined to hear the application on Thursday during a case management hearing.

"The application was further put off to be heard on the 9th of July," said attorney Bert Samuels, who represents Vybz Kartel and Campbell.

He said the evidence, which was left out at the trial of the men, is crucial to the their appeal - the first hearing of which is also on July 9.

The lawyers were successful on Thursday in filing additional grounds of appeal for Shawn Campbell.

In addition to the late grounds being filed, "orders were made for the prosecution to respond to the arguments and the grounds made by Shawn Campbell because in breach of the orders, the prosecution had not yet given a response to the grounds filed," Mr. Samuels explained.

Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adijah Palmer, Shawn Campbell, along with Kahira Jones and Andre St. John were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 for the 2011 murder of Clive "Lizard" Williams.

The Greater Portmore Police are searching for gunmen behind Thursday morning's deadly attack in Gregory Park, St. Catherine, which left a race horse groom dead. He has been identified as Orlando Marshall otherwise called Coolie.

His girlfriend was also shot and has been hospitalised.

It is reported that shortly after two o'clock, Mr. Marshall and his girlfriend were asleep at their Dover Avenue residence, when armed men kicked off the door and opened gunfire on them.

The police say arrangements are being made to interview Leighton "Livity" Coke, the brother of extradited West Kingston strongman Christopher "Dudus" Coke, who was wanted for murder.

They say another man, Christopher "Titi Man" Coke, is also in custody and that he too is to be questioned in relation to the incident.

The police say both men were wanted in relation to the March 12, 2018 murder of Patrick Davis in Rockfort, Kingston 2.

The police say they surrendered to investigators at the Elletson Road Police in Kingston last evening accompanied by their attorneys, this after they were listed among five men wanted by the police in relation to a murder investigation.

Still being sought are Lanchester Coke otherwise called "Bamma T", David Biggs alias "Allen" and a man who goes by the alias "Ratty".

Due to Weather Warnings Best of the Best Music Festival has been moved to Mana Wynwood Convention Center located at 318 NE 23rd Street Miami Florida.

10,000 Sq Ft to stage this year's Best of the Best Music Festival.

"Safety has always been the first priority, therefore we have decided to take the concert indoors. We can't control Mother Nature, but cancelling the show was NOT an option either. We had to take into consideration all the persons who purchased tickets, purchased flights and booked hotels to be a part of this premiere event and therefore the show MUST GO ON" says co-promoter Steve "Jabba" Beckford.

Shocking footage from China shows a woman biting down on a man's tongue, refusing to let go until police use what appears to be pepper spray on her. According to witnesses, the man had attempted to break up with her, sparking the bloody incident.

(AFP) -- President Donald Trump violated the US constitution by blocking Twitter users who disagree with him, a federal judge ruled Wednesday in a case closely watched for implications for online free speech.

Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald said the blocking of Trump critics -- which prevent them from seeing and interacting with the president's tweets -- violated the free speech rights of those users guaranteed in the constitution's First Amendment.

In a 75-page opinion, the New York federal judge said the users "were indisputably blocked as a result of viewpoint discrimination" and that this was "impermissible under the First Amendment."

The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by a group of Twitter users and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

The lawsuit contended that because Trump uses Twitter for a variety of policy announcements, his Twitter account is "a designated public forum" that cannot exclude people due to their political views.

The judge acknowledged that even though the president has certain free speech rights, he cannot violate the rights of other Twitter users.

"While we must recognize, and are sensitive to, the president's personal First Amendment rights, he cannot exercise those rights in a way that infringes the corresponding First Amendment rights of those who have criticized him," she said in her opinion.

Buchwald stopped short of accepting the request for an injunction against Trump and his social media aide, Dan Scavino, who was also named in the complaint, saying she expected the White House to abide by her "declaratory" ruling.

"Because no government official is above the law and because all government officials are presumed to follow the law once the judiciary has said what the law is, we must assume that the president and Scavino will remedy the blocking we have held to be unconstitutional," she wrote.

Leighton 'Livity' Coke has been listed among five men wanted by the Kingston Eastern Police Division today.

According to the police, Coke, who is the brother of imprisoned gangster Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, and the other men are wanted in connection with the murder of 31-year-old Patrick Davis otherwise called 'P Boy'.

Police say Davis' body was found in Rockfort, Kingston, on Monday, March 12.

The other four men are:

Lanchester Coke otherwise called 'Bamma T';

Christopher Coke alias 'Titti Man';

David Biggs alias 'Alien' ;

and a man only known as Ratty.

Lawmen said that the men are being asked to turn themselves in immediately.

The police have described Tommy Lee as a dangerous gangster who is behind many criminal activities in St James. Ealan Powell, the police commander in charge of the State of Public Emergency in St James, has described the hardcore entertainer as a "serious gangster."

"Tommy Lee, as far as we know, is a serious gangster... Somebody who intelligence report indicate, is behind a lot the criminal activities in St James," Powell said.

He also dismissed assertions that the police transferred Tommy Lee to Montego Day and detained him under the state of emergency to avoid having to release him.

"You can be held anywhere under the state of emergency. If we believe that you flee the state of emergency we can hold you anywhere," he explained.

In the meantime, Powell says investigators will respect the entertainer's human and constitutional rights, but will not relent in their investigations.

"If we have intelligence that he is involved in criminal activities we are going to seek to interview him and to carry out investigations around him irrespective of who he is," Powell insisted.

Tommy Lee's newest attorney, Donahue Martin has complained about a photo of the entertainer dressed in an underwear while in custody being circulated via social media.

"I was made aware of that picture and I find it very unprofessional, and we do intend to write to the relevant authorities, in particular the commissioner of police, to ascertain why it is that this is being done while somebody is a guest of the state," said Martin.

"I believe it had to have been taken by a member of the police, and I find it extremely unprofessional. We expect the commissioner to respond and to deal with whatever disciplinary action ought to be taken," Martin added.

Dancehall entertainer Tommy Lee Sparta whose real name is Leroy Russell will remain behind bars until next weekTuesday, May 29

Parish judge Sandria Wong Small have given the St James police permission to hold the Sparta deejay for another seven days after which he must be charged or released from custody. She made the order after the entertainer's attorneys, Tom Tavares-Finson and Donahue Martin, made a habeas corpus application on his behalf in the St James Parish Court today. A habeas corpus application is a writ which requires that a detainee be brought before a judge, especially to secure his release, unless lawful grounds are shown for continued detention.

Tommy Lee Sparta, was transferred from Kingston to the Freeport Police Station in Montego Bay on Monday morning, hours after he was taken into custody in the corporate area. The police say Tommy Lee is being held under the state of public emergency in St James, although they deny that he was transported to St James specifically for this reason.

The American record producer uploaded Alkaline's brand new single "Pick Unuh Side" to his Instagram account with over 10.3 Million followers on Monday.

Khaled loved the track instantly especially because Alkaline gave his son Asahd a shoutout. "Star from me born something like Asahd," the Dancehall heavyweight deejays over the catchy beat produced by Chimney Records.

DJ Khaled endorsement will definitely be helping Alkaline's upcoming project due later this year. Meanwhile, the Vendetta boss reunited with his MVP team over the weekend when he performed in Washington D.C with Mavado and Jahmiel.

Cricketer Marlon Samuels has again gone overboard with his social media antics towards Yanique the Curvy Diva Barrett. Samuels last week issued an online bounty on the head of Yanique for the general public to search for her and message him her location with the hope of a monetary reward that increased on a daily basis. All this effort was to serve her with legal papers which Samuels claims Yanique was avoiding and had been in hiding.

The cricketer took the opportunity to then issue a second bounty for persons to capture video footage of Yanique being served with the alleged papers last Saturday night at the Magnum Kings and Queens Finals at Melbourne Cricket Club.

"If you have a document for Yanique you know who her Lawyer is so sending out a bounty online putting her in danger in public is unnecessary. Having your friend bleach out backstage to give her a document at 1am Sunday Morning at Magnum final show while you wait outside in your car is second hand stalking and you need to stop" A source close to the Curvy Diva explained

The source also confirmed that these tactics by Samuels are dangerous for the safety of Yanique The Curvy Diva, her daughter and her team as well as anyone who would approach her in public at Samuels' behest.

"Yanique's security detail has the right to bodily harm anyone who approaches the artiste in a threatening manner, so people can get hurt trying to collect $20,000," The source added

The source also detailed that the document in question is a letter from Samuels' lawyer asking specifically for an apology from The Curvy Diva, the document is in no way a court document served as commencement of any law suit from Samuels which is what a few persons have been incorrectly speculating.

"All this social media antics for an apology request letter? This is obviously attention seeking behavior, a court summons cant be served after 6pm especially on a weekend so that would not have even been legal and no clerk of the court would have even been a part of that,' The source added.

The source also made it clear that the Curvy Diva will not be responding to Samuels on social media because her lawyer is the one who has been given the authority to address all matters related to this case.

On Sunday Tommy Lee Sparta went to an ATM in Manor Park, St Andrew, with his manager Tanya Thelwell after leaving the finale of the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall show when he was detained.

"He was abducted at gunpoint by men in masks and taken to the Half-Way-Tree Police Station where it turned out that the men were police officers," said Smith. "Some time ago they had accused him of causing trouble in Montego Bay. The man has since moved and they are still accusing him of things that happen in the parish. I want to know who down there wants him and I'm going to speak with a judge to set up a hearing application for his release. They moved him like a thief in the night."

This is not the first time Tommy Lee Sparta has featured on the cops's radar.

He, along with three others, were charged jointly in February 2014 with suspected breaches of the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transaction) (Special Provisions) Act, 2013. The trial was scheduled to begin last October.

In June 2017, he was questioned and subsequently released by members of the Elleston Road Police Station about a shooting in the division. In January that same year, former head of the St James Police division, Senior Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth, listed the artiste as a person of interest in relation to crime in sections of Flanker in St James.

A former member of Vybz Kartel's Portmore Empire, Tommy Lee Sparta is known for songs including Grim Rim Rave, Holding Out the Pressure, Happy Life, Shook, Some Bwoy, Buss A Blank and We Want Paper.

The lawyer for Tommy Lee Sparta is crying foul over the abrupt transfer of his client from Kingston to Montego Bay to face charges. Reports are that the dancehall artiste was arrested on Sunday while at an ATM in MAnor Park by maked policemen. He was taken to the says the police "kidnapped" his client from Half-Way-Tree police lock-up yesterday and took him to St James without his knowledge.

According to Smith, he had requested a habeas corpus at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court yesterday which would allow his client to appear before a judge and granted release. But the lawyer later found out that the entertainer was removed from the lockup. The attorney said he had no knowledge as to where in Montego Bay his client was being held.

"About an hour ago I received information that Tommy Lee had been carted to Montego Bay where there is a state of emergency... Men came for him at 8:00 am this morning (yesterday) and kidnapped him, so to speak. I had no idea this was done and clearly it was done to desist my habeas corpus application tomorrow (today) in Half-Way-Tree. I find it hard to believe that a senior officer had no idea that the citizen had been carted to Montego Bay when we spoke," he reportedly told morning tabloid, Jamaica Observer.

Five persons died in a two-vehicle collision on the Orchard main road in Hopewell, Hanover Sunday night. Two other persons have been seriously injured.

The deceased were all occupants of the same vehicle.

Three of them have been identified. They are 28 year old Joseph Brown, Phillip Jones, and Nicholas French.

The police report that, shortly after 10 o'clock, a gray Toyota Corolla Kingfish, driven by Mr. Brown, with four passengers, drifted into the path of a white Toyota Corolla wagon travelling in the opposite direction.

All the occupants of the Kingfish died at the scene.

Two persons from the other vehicle have been hospitalised in serious condition.

The final case management conference ahead of the July 9 appeal by Adidja Palmer AKA Vybz Kartel, and the three other men who were convicted of murder along with him, is set for this Thursday.

The session is scheduled as the last exercise before Kartel, Shawn Storm; and two other co-convicts, Kahira Jones and Andre St John, face the Appeal Court in relation to the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams in August 2011.

The appeal is expected to run for about three weeks.

Reports are that all is in place for the big day in court on July 9, as the legal groundwork has been done and positioning on the matter between the prosecution and the defence has been established between the two sides.

The four men were convicted of Williams' murder in March 2014, and were each given life sentences, with the recommended time-frames before eligibility for parole running up to 35 years in the case of Kartel.

Shawn Storm is the latest entertainer to be transferred within the prison system.

According to reports, the "Gaza Nuh Tek Diss" deejay was also moved the same week as his mentor Vybz Kartel and Ninjaman.

Shawn Storm is now being housed at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, formerly known as the General Penitentiary (GP) along with co-accused Kahiro Jones.

The shakeup comes after a leaked prison video of Ninjaman went viral.

In the clip which surfaced late April, the former Downsound Records artiste, whose given name is Desmond Ballentine, can be seen smoking a spliff, while showing off his brand new pair of Clarks to fellow inmates and jokingly telling them he is a modern day bad man.

"A we mek jail look like blood*****t road. Clarks clean like whistle, bottom brand new," the former Downsound records deejay said as inmates cheered him on, "We a modern badman wid modern badness," he continued.

The video resulted in Ninjaman being sent to the Horizon Adult Remand Centre in Kingston and Vybz Kartel was transferred to the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre in Spanish Town.

Vybz Kartel and Shawn Storm are currently preparing for their appeal trial set for July 9. Kartel, Shawn Storm, Jones and St John were found guilty of murder in March 2014 for killing Clive 'Lizard' Williams in August 2011.

Belize Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber has confirmed that he was "detained for about three hours" last month when he visited the United States because police thought he fitted the description of a man who was about to launch a gun attack on a school.

Faber, who appeared on a television programme on Thursday night, confirmed that the incident occurred on April 20 in Henry County, telling viewers "there was an incident in the United States with the Henry County Sherriff,".

Faber said that he had gone to the school where his two children are studying and was welcomed by the principal.

"I had called the schools to say that I would be visiting and I was welcomed by the principal, to say you are able to come in. I wanted to check on their progress and I wanted to ensure that the school was aware that I am very much interested in their wellbeing, in their learning environment there and so on," he said.

"So I made those arrangements and upon arriving at the school on the day that was scheduled, I was greeted by the police and I was held to gunpoint and arrested and I was detained for about three hours."

The Deputy Prime Minister said that he later learned that there was a 911 call made to the police claiming that "I was going to the school to shoot, and in fact that I was a threat.

"According to the Henry County Sheriff's office, they said that I was described by name and by features and so naturally I cannot blame the police for doing what they did. They acted in a manner that I think we would act here in Belize if we received information that a school was threatened,".

"Naturally, the police, later on, found out that that was never my intention, that the school was actually expecting me to visit. It's a normal situation for a parent to check in, especially if you don't live in the country where the children are going to school,".

Faber said that the police apologised "profusely and in fact told me that they would be investigating the 911 call.

"They told me the specifics about the caller and in fact promised me that they would be investigating it further and that in fact, I was a victim. The police apologised profusely and I was allowed to go on my way," Faber said.

Faber said that his two children had relocated to the United States to be with their mother, his ex-wife, who has since re-married.

Jamaica Defence Force Corporal Dwight Stephens and his wife Stacey Ann were each offered $600,000.00 bail when they appeared in the St Catherine Parish Court. As a condition of bail, they are both required to report to the police daily and to surrender their travel documents.

They are also banned from all ports of entry and exit.

They were ordered to return to court on July 26.

The police reported that on May 11, 2018 they arrested the couple during operations in Greater Portmore, St. Catherine where over 600 pounds of ganja, cash totalling $265,000, a licensed firearm along with ammunition, and two motor cars were also seized.

The couple was subsequently charged with possession of ganja, dealing in ganja, taking steps to export ganja, using premises for drugs, conspiracy, and possession of criminal property.

In applying for bail, their lawyer Peter Champagnie alluded to the fact one of the accused, upon being formally interviewed by the police, told them that where the ganja was found in the house was occupied by a helper and her common husband.

Champagnie also submitted that soldier was suffering from a medical condition and so too does a child of the couple.

It is the Asian tiger mosquito or aedes albopictus which is similar to the aedes aegypti mosquito which is endemic to Jamaica and which transmits the dengue, Chikungunya, Zika and other viruses.

Acting Chief Public Health Inspector for St Catherine, Grayston Hutchinson told last Thursday's monthly meeting of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation that the Asia tiger mosquito was discovered following surveillance throughout the island.

He was responding to questions from councillors attending the monthly meeting.

The tiger mosquito is so named because of its striped appearance, which resembles that of the tiger.

Similar to the aedes aegypti mosquito, the female is the carrier of several viruses, including yellow fever, dengue, Chikungunya and Zika.

A Portland couple was killed in a motor vehicle crash along the Iteboreale main road in St Mary on Wednesday, May 16. They were heading back to Portland after reportedly dropping off their son at the airport.

They have since been identified as 61-year-old Adrian Peters, a senior survey technician of East Harbour Road in Port Antonio and 54-year-old Carol-Mae Adams of Anchovy Land Settlement, also in the parish.

It's reported that about 3:30 the two were travelling in a Toyota Corolla motor car towards Portland when a truck, travelling in the opposite direction, allegedly overtook a car.

It's further reported that Peters, who was driving the Corolla, swerved from the path of the truck to avoid a colliaion and lost control of the vehicle.

The car crashed into a wall and the two were pinned down inside the vehicle.

Bystanders rushed to assist Peters and Adams, using hammers and other tools to access the vehicle in an attempt to remove them from the wreckage.

The police were eventually called in to assist and the two were rushed to hospital where they died while being treated.

Several amendments are being proposed to the Rent Restriction Act, which are expected to address current challenges in the rental industry and make it more equitable for landlords and tenants.

Senior director in the housing policy, research and monitoring branch of the ministry of economic growth and job creation, paula parkes, says the challenges which exist in the industry relate mostly to standardisation of security deposits, timely recovery of possessions and breach of tenant and landlord covenants.

Ms Parkes says among the changes being proposed is an amendment to the name of the act to 'the Rent Act'. She said the word 'restriction' will be removed to make it clear that the act covers the entirety of the rental industry.

Reggae artiste Capleton has used social media to thank his fans and colleagues for their support, as he faces a charge of rape. In the post he reminded that he has never been accused of putting his hand on any woman in an abusive way and stated that he has nothing but respect for women.

The entertainer declared his innocence, even as his lawyer has been fuming about the botched investigations by the police, which led to the rape charge.

The lawyer has stated publicly that he told the police that he has evidence - voice notes and whats app messages - that would prove his client's innocent, but the police reportedly told hiim to present the evidence in court.

Interestingly, the very same day that the woman had reported to the police that she had been raped by Capleton, the entertainer had also made a formal report to the police that the same woman was trying to extort money from him.

The philanthropist, who stages and annual charity show, 'A St Mary Mi Come From', is known for his enormous kindness and his willingness to help the less fortunate.

Capleton has an undying passion for his birth parish, St Mary, and while most of the proceeds from the annual event go towards projects in the parish, adjoining parishes have been known to benefit from the staging of 'A St. Mary Mi Come From'.

As the entertainer who's affectionately known as King Shango is even now fighting a charge of rape, Yardflex spoke to an associate of Capleton, who had some rather revealing information.

According to the source, Capleton would never wash his locks at a hotel, and furthermore, the source added that the only woman allowed to touch the Rastafarian's locks is his cousin.

"Is Capleton cousin alone wash him locks. When she wash it, we haffi sprad leaves inder the tree because the Fireman locks way down pass him back almst a touch ground. So after she finish wash it him haffi stay under the tree and let it out so that it can dry. Which hotel? Dem man deh nah go a no hotel go wah locks...and Capleton nuh groom him locks either," the associate explained.

The woman who has accused the artiste of rape is said to be a hairdresser, but that claim was also refuted.

"She is no hairdresser. Is somebody that all of we know; she have a wholesale and we buy goods from her all the while," the source revealed to Yardflex.

It was also stated that the woman did in fact visit Capleton at the New Kingston hotel where he stays quite frequently and further that woman knew that she was going there for a sexual tryst.

"She all get her taxi fare when she leave...but afterwards she begin fi try use her head fi get more money. She say she did sick and inna hospital and we find out say a lie. Then she start fi call call up King Shango fi money and bare things. So after the Fireman block her and decide fi report the matter to the police, a so she start spin her story," the source confided to Yardflex.

United States President Trump portrayed some immigrants crossing into the country illegally as "animals" while speaking Wednesday at a White House event targeting California's sanctuary city policies.

"We have people coming into the country, who are trying to come in, and we're stopping a lot of them, but we're taking people out of the country, you wouldn't believe how bad these people are," Trump said in reference to alleged gang members. "These aren't people. These are animals."

That broad-brush assertion itself is jarring, but not uncommon for Trump. In fact, it's just the latest instance in which Trump has sought to dehumanize those he considers undesirable. After a man angry over losing his job opened fire on a former office rival on Aug. 24, 2012, on the sidewalk outside the Empire State Building, Trump wasted little time rendering his judgment.

"Terrible tragedy at the Empire State Building today. We must have fast trials and death penalty for the animals," Trump tweeted. The gunman, however, was killed by police at the scene.

In fact, Trump often uses the word "animal" when advocating for swift capital punishment of those accused of crimes, as was the case with an Oklahoma man suspected in the murder of a female co-worker in September 2014. Alton Nolen, 33, was found guilty of the crime three years later and was sentenced to death.

In a May 11, 2015, tweet, Trump demanded to know why there weren't protests "in favor of the two young police officers gunned down in Mississippi by two deranged animals" at a traffic stop. He demanded the death penalty for the four suspects, one of whom, the suspected shooter, was later found dead in his cell while awaiting trail. The other suspects are now serving prison time for lesser charges.

In the first debate of 2016 Republican presidential primaries, moderator Megyn Kelly asked Trump about using the term "disgusting animal" to describe women, which gave the candidate the opportunity for a memorable retort.

In effect, that response epitomizes Trump's threshold for calling others an "animal": The word applies when he says so.

After he was elected president, Trump delivered a speech to Long Island law enforcement officers in which he extolled the virtues of violent policing when dealing with MS-13 gang members.

"I was reading one of these animals was caught explaining they like to knife them and cut them and let them die slowly because that way it's more painful. And they enjoy watching that much more," Trump said.

At a July campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, Trump returned to his portrayal of undocumented immigrants as "animals."

"And you've seen the stories about some of these animals. They don't want to use guns, because it's too fast and not painful enough," Trump said, adding, "And these are the animals we've been protecting for so long. Well they're not being protected anymore, folks."

Following reports that the Syrian government had again used chemical weapons on its own people, Trump turned on Bashar Assad, giving him a new nickname.

Trump's sweeping judgment has long been incredibly swift for a man in his position. Of course, that's a quality his supporters often cite as distinguishing him from normal politicians. But it's also easy to find examples of when that impulse has been shown to be faulty.

When five black and Latino teenagers were accused of raping a white woman in Central Park in 1989, Trump took out full page ads in the city's daily newspapers demanding that the death penalty be reinstalled to deal with the suspects.

"I no longer want to understand their anger. I want them to understand our anger. I want them to be afraid," Trump wrote of the accused. "How can our great society tolerate the continued brutalization of its citizens by crazed misfits?"

Fourteen years after their conviction, DNA evidence exonerated the young men and they were released from prison. To this day, Trump has never apologized to the men known as the Central Park Five.

Crime Stop was first on the scene to premiere the most anticipated movie of the season, Avengers: Infinity War. The non-governmental organisation staged the private screening at the Carib 5 theatre recently as part of their annual fundraiser towards their rewards fund.

There are now more details available on the timeline for implementation of the ban on single-use plastic bags and styrofoam boxes in the local retail trade.

Government Senator Matthew Samuda is anticipating that within the next three months there should be significant developments. The upcoming ban was announced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday by Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Daryl Vaz. He explained that the widely popular plastic bags will soon be banned and Jamaicans will need to get reusable bags when they go shopping. In addition, regulations will be put in place for garbage bags including allowable sizes and types.

Vaz gave no timeline, but Mr Samuda has given a rundown of the activities that are taking take place and their estimated time of completion. He states that there was lengthy consultation with several groups up to two weeks ago and based on these discussions, the timelines are clearer.

A 40-year-old man who works with the National Commercial Bank and his school teacher wife are in police custody charged with fraud and illegal possession of ammunition. Ronald McLaren and his wife, 47 year Shernett McLaren, were charged on the weekend by detectives of the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC).

They have been charged jointly with illegal possession of 50 rounds of ammunition. Mr. McLaren has also been charged with conspiracy to defraud and possession of identity information of NCB customers.

C-TOC detectives raided the couple's St. Andrew residence on Friday as part of a probe into the scamming of debit and credit card holders of the bank. Investigators alleged that Mr. McLaren is one of the persons leaking information on customers to scammers.

A policeman who was ordered released before the St. Catherine Parish Court last Tuesday has again been arrested and charged with murder. Detective Constable Shawn Pennington was arrested on Wednesday by the Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) and charged with the murder of Rishawn Oliver.

This follows a probe by the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) and a ruling by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. In a news release Wednesday afternoon, INDECOM said Mr. Pennington was taken before Parish Judge Evan Brown in the St. Catherine Home Circuit Court.

He was offered $800,000 bail with sureties. The matter was adjourned for mention on October 25.

However, the case was dismissed by the Parish Court judge last Tuesday when it was ruled that INDECOM did not have the jurisdiction to bring charges against the officer.

Press freedom advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has written to Dr Andrew Wheatley, the Chairman of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament currently examining the Data Protection Bill, to express concerns about the chilling effect which the proposed legislation could have on journalism.

RSF, which produces the annual World Press Freedom Index, is suggesting that the Parliament amend the Bill to include a blanket exemption for journalists.

The group's suggestion echoes similar proposals made by the Press Association of Jamaica and the Media Association of Jamaica.

RSF says it does not believe that the Bill makes a sufficient distinction between gathering "data" for journalistic activities and gathering data for regular commercial purposes and says the Bill's negative impact on journalism could outweigh the advantages the legislation is supposed to provide.

The organisation says it acknowledges the existing exemptions for journalism in the Bill as drafted, RSF Executive Director for North American Margaux Ewen says a clear blanket exemption for journalists should be provided instead of a handful of provisions.

RSF notes that without a blanket exemption, the proposed legislation is potentially threatening for journalists and media outlets.

"It says it aims to protect "sensitive personal data," including "political opinions, philosophical beliefs, religious beliefs or other beliefs of a similar nature," all of which are examples of subjects journalists focus their reporting on. How can journalists report on matters of public interest and hold those in power accountable under such a law?" asks Ewan.

Specific provisions of the Bill about which RSF is raising concern include the power given to the Information Commissioner to enforce, exempt, and penalise data controllers, which would include journalists.

State agency representatives and residents of the Clarendon community of Treadlight were sent scampering Wednesday morning as shots rang out adjacent to a property they were preparing to facilitate birth registration activities.

The event was to be hosted in the community square.

It is reported that about 9.30 a.m, a car drove up and two gunmen got out firing several shots at a man next door.

The target fell after he was hit and it is reported that the gunmen then went over him firing several more shots.

The Health Ministry is rejecting claims being circulated on social media of yellow fever in Jamaica.

Yellow fever is an acute illness caused by the yellow fever virus, which is found in the tropics of South America and Africa.

The virus is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes, such as the aedes aegypti, the same vector that transmits the chikungunya, dengue and zika viruses.

In the meantime, the ministry says it continues to heighten its mosquito control activities island-wide.

Yellow Fever is a Class 1 notifiable disease, which means it is to be reported to the Ministry of Health within 24 hours on suspicion by a healthcare professional.

To prevent the importation of the yellow fever virus into Jamaica where the disease does not occur, but where the mosquito vector and human hosts are present, vaccination against yellow fever is required for Jamaicans travelling overseas to destinations that are reported by the World Health Organisation as countries at risk for yellow fever transmission.

The police have revealed that the shipment of 19 guns intercepted at the Kingston Container Terminal on November 17 last year was destined for the Westmoreland-based Dexter Street Gang.

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey, that's when the gang landed on the police's radar.

The weapons and nearly 4,000 assorted rounds of ammunition were found in two freezers at the port.

Bailey, the head of the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Division Branch (C-TOC), provided the update at a press conference this morning while revealing that another four members of the gang have been arrested, pushing to 17 the number of alleged members of the criminal network now behind bars.

However, Bailey said the man believed to be the leader of the gang and it's main financier, Shadane Patrick Robinson, also known as Gorgan, remains on the run.

According to the C-TOC boss, Robinson was charged with murder and granted bail and is believed to have fled the island for the United States.

He said investigators believe that two other members of the gang who are wanted by the police -- Oshane Rankine, also called Shabba, and Juwayne Barnes, alias Spent Shell -- have also fled to the US.

The alleged gangsters - 13 males and four females - have been charged under the so-called anti-gang legislation and are scheduled to appear before the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston shortly.

The gangsters have allegedly been linked to nearly 40 murders in western Jamaica in the past 17 months and Bailey said their arrests have since "significantly disrupted" criminal activities.

The gang is responsible for or linked to over 17 murders and 27 shooting incidents in 2017 and since the beginning of the year, 22 murders and several shootings have also been linked to this gang.

The gangsters were arrested between last week Tuesday and Saturday during a series of operations by the security forces.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31.

The character of the food and the manner in which it is eaten exert a powerful influence on the health. Many ... have never made a determined effort to control the appetite, or to observe proper rules in regard to eating. Some eat too much at their meals, and some eat between meals whenever the temptation is presented.

The need of carefulness in habits of diet should be impressed on the minds of all.... I appeal to all to refuse to eat those things that will injure the health. Thus they can serve the Lord by sacrifice.

Those who obey the laws of health will give time and thought to the needs of the body and to the laws of digestion. And they will be rewarded by clearness of thought and strength of mind. On the other hand it is possible for one to spoil his Christian experience by abuse of the stomach. Those things that derange the digestion have a benumbing influence on the finer feelings of the heart.... Every habit that injures the health reacts upon the mind. That time is well spent which is directed to the establishment and preservation of sound physical and mental health. Firm, quiet nerves and a healthy circulation help men to follow right principles and to listen to the promptings of conscience....

The brain is the citadel of the being. Wrong physical habits affect the brain, and prevent the attainment of ... good mental discipline. Unless the youth are versed in the science of how to care for the body as well as for the mind, they will not be successful students. Study is not the principal cause of breakdown of the mental powers. The main cause is improper diet, irregular meals, a lack of physical exercise, and careless inattention in other respects to the laws of health. When we do all that we can to preserve the health, then we can ask God in faith to bless our efforts....

The youth should be taught that they are not at liberty to do as they please with their lives. God will not hold guiltless those who treat lightly His precious gifts. Men should realize that the greater their endowment of strength, of talent, of means, or of opportunities, the more heavily should the burden of God's work rest upon them, and the more they should do for Him. The youth who are trained to believe that life is a sacred trust will hesitate to plunge into the vortex of dissipation and crime that swallows up so many promising young men of this age.--Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 297-300.

Mental and moral power is dependent upon the physical health.--Mind, Character, and Personality 1:61.

The Guyana Prison Service (GPS) Monday said it has joined the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in launching an investigation into how inmates at a prison were able to acquire large bottles of liquor and engage in a party on Mothers' Day on Sunday.

Images on social media showed the inmates, including one who is on remand on a murder charge, at the New Amsterdam Prison posing with the drinks and smoking what appeared to be marijuana cigarettes.

"There is no direct evidence pointing to any prison officer who would have facilitated the movement of the contraband into the prison. The prisoner would have identified a civilian who brought it," GPS Director, Gladwin Samuels, told the online publication Demerarawaves.

He said a playback of video surveillance recordings showed that a tractor was searched and nothing was found.

The publication said pictures of the prisoners holding and consuming what appeared to be bottles of liquor were posted on the Facebook page of remanded murder accused, Abdul Andre Azimullah.

"Sanctions will be taken against those persons who are found culpable," Samuels said.

The latest incident comes less than two weeks after Samuels had complained about the ongoing problem of smuggling of prohibited items into prisons.

He warned prison wardens about being part of the smuggling efforts and reminded them of the action that could be taken once they are found in the act.

Rihanna, queen of pop, makeup, lingerie, and Catholicism-inspired fashion, pops up pretty much wherever the latest action is. One place she won't be, however, is the royal wedding--which, as you might of heard, is happening this coming Saturday, May 19.

The invite list to the royal wedding is kept to an intimate 600 people, not including the 2,640 normals (such as myself, in a better world) who will be spectacle-ing on the grounds of Windsor Castle. That's fine and all, but when you're an institution as extensive as the British monarchy and surrounding aristocracy, those seats get filled up pretty quickly.

Apparently, Rihanna is clued into this, and, humbly, didn't really think she'd be invited. Sure, Rihanna and Prince Harry might have met in 2016 at a Barbados National HIV/AIDS Commission event, but Rihanna didn't think that alone warranted an invite to the royal wedding.

Following last week's arrest and charge of real estate attorney Jennifer Messado for alleged fraud, the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) has charged a second accused in the case. Real estate broker Beverly Barakat was charged on Monday. She was arrested Sunday by C-TOC investigators. Mrs Barakat has been charged with conspiracy to defraud, forgery and operating a real estate brokerage firm without a licence.

It is alleged that she conspired with Mrs Messado in the illegal transfer of a property.

Both women are scheduled to appear before the St. Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday.

Mrs Messado was arrested and charged on Friday by C-TOC detectives. The attorney has been charged with uttering forged documents, forgery, conspiracy to defraud, causing money to be paid out by forged document, and money laundering. Investigators reported that on December 20 last year, Mrs Messado prepared an Agreement of Sale for two parcels of land without the knowledge and consent of the owner.

They alleged that she collected US$270,000 as down payment from the prospective purchaser.

The properties were put to sale for $232 million.

C-TOC is expected to lay additional charges against Mrs Messado in relation to another property.

A senior investigator said she is being investigated in connection with other real estate transactions.

Reports of a newly-graduated police constable being placed under probe only one day after he reportedly graduated from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) training school have sent social media in overdrive. The new graduate, who was supposed to officially take up his position on the nation's streets as a full-fledge member of the force, is now under investigation in connection with the theft of a laptop.

Reports are that on Saturday, May 12, a software developer of a Kingston 8 address visited the Central CIB office in Kingston and requested the assistance of the police to recover his laptop. He reported that the item had been stolen from his car on Friday while it was parked on the compound of Sovereign Shopping Centre in St Andrew, and that he had reported the matter at the Matilda's Corner Police Station, which covers the area where the laptop was lost.

Police were told that the technician had managed to track his laptop to 96 Orange Street in down Kingston, hence his visit to the Central Police Station. Acting on the information, reports are that a team of officers accompanied the complainant to the location, and during a search, the laptop was recovered at a premises that was being operated as a shop.

The shop owner, when questioned, told the police that the laptop had been left there by a friend who would be returning soon to have it fixed. Shortly after, the person who the shop owner spoke about turned up at the establishment.The individual was held and questioned, and later identified himself as a young police constable who had graduated a day before.

Reports are that the new JCF member was asked where he got the laptop from, and he reportedly indicated that a man known to him as 'Country' of a Waterhouse, Kingston 11 address, gave it to him just hours before he was held. The investigators, acting on the information provided by the police constable, ended up apprehending a man in Seven Miles, Bull Bay, St Andrew.The man was questioned but minutes into the session, he reportedly changed his story and denied knowing the name 'Country', and refuted the claims that the new police constable had made against him regarding the laptop.

However, after further questioning, the man reportedly indicated that he did know the police constable for several years. The man reportedly told the investigators that he was contacted by the police constable before the police team arrived where he was, and told to take the blame for the stolen laptop, and to also tell the police that he was known as 'Country'.

The man reportedly told the investigators that the police constable had told him to tell the detectives that he found the laptop in a garbage bin. The man claimed that he agreed when the police constable made the request, but later changed his story when he found out the seriousness of the matter, and made the decision to speak the 'truth'.

Reports are that statements have since been recorded from all the parties and a formal probe has been launched into the matter.

Capleton's lawyer Christopher Townsend says a dual investigation is taking place. According to Townsend, the lady who accused the 51-year-old dancehall deejay of rape is also being investigated for extortion. He said he anticipates the lady will also be taken into custody shortly.

On Friday, detectives assigned to the Center for Investigation Sexual Offense and Child Abuse, CISOCA, arrested and charged Capleton for rape.

According to Corporate Communications Unity CCU, reports are that on Saturday, April 28, at about 11:20 am, Capleton allegedly hired a female hairdresser to groom his hair at a hotel in New Kingston. The report further states that while at the hotel the dancehall deejay allegedly forcibly had sexual intercourse with her.

The matter was reported to the police and an investigation launched. Capleton was subsequently charged after a question and answer interview was conducted in the presence of his attorney.

Capleton is to appear in the St. Andrew Parish Court on Monday, May 14.

Tourism Minister, Ed Bartlett is participating in the 9th Asian Leadership Conference (ALC) and the PATA Annual Summit in South Korea. While there, the Minister is expected to participate in a series of panel discussions on the state of the tourism industry globally. He will also use the opportunity to garner support for the Global Resilience and Crisis Management Centre and Observatory, which will be housed at the University of West Indies, Mona.

The Minister's first engagement in South Korea is the 9th Asian Leadership Conference (ALC), where he will speak about: Tourism and Sustainable Development and Globalization and Cooperation in Asia Pacific, at two of the sessions on May 16. The invitation was extended by Sang-Hoon Bang, President and CEO of the Chosunilbo, the largest newspaper in South Korea and hosts of the ALC.

In the letter of invitation, Mr Bang noted that the Minister was invited because of the significant contributions he has made to the global tourism industry as the world's leading Tourism Minister.

"You have played a major role in economic growth and the transformation of communities by constructing tourism infrastructure. Under your leadership, you initiated the Tourism Linkages Network which seeks to develop connections between the tourism sector and other productive sectors of the economy," said Mr Bang.

Since its inauguration in 2005, the ALC has become the most prestigious gathering of global leaders in Asia. Speakers in the past have included former Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon; former President of the United States, President Barack Obama and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron.

The Minister will then travel to Gangneung to participate in the PATA Annual Summit (PAS). He will participate as a panellist at the United Nations World Tourism Organization/PATA Leaders Debate on Saturday, May 19.

Minister Bartlett will share his insights on the current challenges being faced by the travel and tourism industry. He will also use the opportunity to discuss airlift issues and will speak on the Global Centre for Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management as well as meet with representatives from Samsung to discuss possibilities for partnership.

Minister Bartlett will be accompanied by Dr. Lloyd Waller, Senior Advisor/Consultant and Ms. Anna-Kay Newell, Executive Assistant to the Minister. The team is expected to return to the island on May 21.

The police say they are closely watching sections of Portmore following reports that there are a number of drug networks being operated in some sections of the huge overall community.

The police said over the last few days they have carried out a series of raids in a number hotspot areas that they are monitoring, and these activities have resulted in at least two major ganja busts.

The most recent incident involved a soldier and his wife, who were allegedly found at a premises with over 600 pounds of the weed, for which they have been charged.

Days before that find, a St Catherine man identified as Cavon Duncan, was held at the Norman Manley International Airport, allegedly trying to leave the island with over 18 pounds of ganja.

The police said he was arrested, and that development led to something more.

Following the arrest at the airport, the police carried out an investigation that led to another man - Ricardo Blake - who is believed to be a major link to an underground drug operation in Portmore.

Duncan and Blake are now facing charges of possession of ganja, dealing in ganja, taking preparatory steps to export ganja, and conspiracy.

In respect of further details, the narcotics police said about 2:30 p.m., Duncan checked in at the Norman Manley International Airport to board a flight to Panama.

During security screening by port security officers, abnormalities were reportedly observed in his suitcase, and police narcotics personnel were contacted.

The detectives subsequently searched the suitcase in his presence, and allegedly found 10 packages wrapped in foil paper and brown masking tape, each containing the illicit drug.

Duncan was taken into custody while detectives continued to investigate.

The police said a follow-up operation at a premises in Portmore, St Catherine resulted in Blake being arrested in connection with the airport seizure.

The two men have since been booked to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court next Wednesday on the ganja-related charges.

The police monitoring sections of Portmore said they do not believe the cases involving the soldier and his wife, and the two other men, were linked, but they were not ruling out the possibility and would be keeping a close tab on the areas under focus.

Investigators from the Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) charged attorney-at- law Jennifer Messado on Friday, May 11.

She has been charged with four counts of forgery, two counts of uttering Forged documents, Conspiracy to Defraud, Causing money to be paid out by forged documents and Money Laundering.

According to investigators on December 20, 2017, the accused prepared an Agreement of Sales for two parcel of land without the knowledge and consent of the owner. It is alleged that Messado forged the signature of the trustee, stamp and letter head of the owner of the properties to facilitate the fictitious transaction and collected 270, 000 USD as down payment for the prospective purchaser.

These properties were put to sale for 232 million JMD or 1.8 million USD dollars.

Capleton's attorney Christopher Townsend says he is confident that the deejay will be exonerated. Townsend says the artiste made a report to a constable on May 2 that a woman had been attempting to extort money from him after a sexual encounter days earlier.

Allegations are that after the sexual encounter, the woman allegedly complained that she had a cyst on her ovary and had been admitted to the hospital for treatment, and according to Capleton's management team, that was a lie.

His rep claimed that the alleged victim then sent one of her daughters, a 19-year-old, to pick up snacks from the deejay, but the demands did not subside.

Capleton reportedly refused to co-operate once the woman demanded a large sum of money to allow her to be a part of a 'round-robin'.

The rep added that police, both at the Half-Way Tree CIB and officials from CISOCA, are in possession of text messages and conversations relating to the matter.

Reports from the police are that on Saturday, April 28 at about 11:20 a.m., the "Jah Jah City" singer whose real name is Clifton Bailey, reportedly hired a female hairdresser to groom his hair at a hotel in the New Kingston area. While at the hotel, it is reported that he forcibly had sexual intercourse with the female.

The matter was reported to the police and an investigation launched. Bailey was subsequently charged after a question and answer interview was conducted in the presence of his attorney.

He is to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Monday, May 14.

Christopher Townsend, the lawyer retained by Capleton to represent him in a charge of rape, crying foul over the backward level of the investigation being carried out by the police. Townsend is accusing the cops of rushing to charge the internationally-renowned recording artiste without doing a thorough investigation.

Capleton, 51, is still in police custody after being arrested Friday and charged with rape by detectives at the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA).

The police say the complainant, a hairdresser, reported that he had sexual intercourse with her against her will inside a New Kingston hotel room where she had done to groom his hair on April 28.

But the entertainer's attorney, says he has whatsapp messages and voice notes of the woman "demanding that certain things be done."

Townsend said he offered to turn them over to police investigators who rejected them and advised the entertainer that he could use them for his defence at trial.

"It is their signature behaviour. They have an extremely backward approach towards investigations," he charged.

Townsend said when the woman became aware of the police investigation "she went ahead with her threat" and went to the police.

The police said the woman filed a report on May 2 and acknowledged that Capleton made a report to the Half Way Tree police that same day alleging that he was being extorted by the complainant.

Foota Hype and Tony Matterhorn have come out swinging against members of the Dancehall fraternity following the death of Chromatic Sound co-founder, Niko Chromatic.

They have dashed out criticism against Niko Chromatic's so-called friends in the industry for not doing more to help save his life. In a video rant posted on social media, the two veteran disc jockeys stop short of calling Popcaan by name however it was pretty clear they were talking about the 'Unruly Boss'.

Popular producer, NotNice also posted a message on Instagram blasting industry members who have been posting "rest in peace" on social media.

"Nuff a unu p***yhole a post bout miss u,sip,rip niko and when d yute did sick not even as much as a word a prayer unu neva give but now unu run gone dig up unu best pic wid d yute fi post, mi hate unu. From Gaza days memba a u gi vybz kartel the name worldboss dem deeven know that. One thing u Eva beg mi fi do and a fi voice yu on a riddim and mi promise yu seh mi a guh do it now not even that mi cyan do again 😢#jahkno," he wrote.

However despite the criticism Popcaan took to social media on Wednesday to share a heartfelt post, "We lost a real family yesterday but God knows best, you make us all proud while you was with us we will continue the dream that we all believe in from chromatic, unruly, chromatic one team one dream my scheme," he wrote.

There was indeed a lot of bawling out during Dovey Magnum's performance of her hot single, Bawl Out recently, as the Real G, in a moment of intense passions, accidentally pulled off her wig, exposing her corn rows.

The rising dancehall deejay is seen in a video making the rounds on social media, performing on stage and female patrons singing along to her popular track "Bawl Out."

While locked in the 6:20 position, singing, and gyrating her waistline, a small framed man was behind her having the time of his life. In an attempt to climb further, the man's slender fingers got tangled in her Rapunzel-like orange hair during the antics.

With one tug, the wig was pulled from her head exposing her basic cornrows.

While the crowd erupted in laughter, Dovey Magnum then walked to one corner of the stage and returned with her microphone still in hand she said, "pull up dat."

Motorists found operating their motor vehicle without a drivers' licence will not be given the two-day grace period as was proposed by Opposition Senators last week Friday.

They will not even be given the one-day grace period that was the compromise offered Friday morning by Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, Donna Scott-Mottley when the Upper House resumed its debate on the long-delayed Road Traffic Act.

However, Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Kamina Johnson Smith said the proposed fine for the breach has been reduced from $10,000 to $2,000. She argued that the Government did not see the proposed 48-hour grace period "as a useful and flexible way to get behavioural change. We believe that that is in fact the problem that the police struggle with now," said Johnson Smith while pointing out that the current Act allows motorists two days to present their drivers' licence to the police.

The Narcotics Police are now making arrangements for a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier and his wife to be interviewed in the presence of their attorney, Peter Champagnie, following their arrest in connection with the seizure of over 600 pounds of ganja, along with cash and other items, in Greater Portmore, St Catherine on Friday, May 11.

Reports are that between 12:15 a.m. and 4:15 a.m., narcotics detectives and officers from the St Catherine South Police Division conducted an operation at a premises in Greater Portmore, during which both compressed and loose ganja were reportedly found.

The ganja weighed a total of 651.8 pounds.

Cash totalling $265,000, along with a licensed firearm with ammunition and two motorcars were also seized.

Romario Brown, a tattoo artiste of a Stony Hill, St Andrew address, who is the accused in Dexter Pottinger's murder, was denied bail when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish court on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old's case was also transferred to the Committal Court and a June 15 mention date was set.

Pottinger's decomposing body was discovered with multiple stab wounds at his Yarico Place home in Kingston 20, Jamaica last year August.

Shortly after, Brown was arrested and charged when he reportedly confessed to killing Pottinger.

The popular fashion designer/stylist had reportedly bailed Brown on August 29, the same day he was reportedly killed by the accused at his home.

'It is what largely shapes our attraction - not only visual impression - and results in genuine sexual pleasure between men and women,' he said

Rooms at the 'legal brothel' cost between £17.75 and £29.50 per hour - not including the sex doll.

Founder of the hotel, Dmitry Alexandrov said that 36 per cent of Russians are unhappy with their sex lives.

'Creating a full scale leisure adult centre in Russia is not only a legal and safe way to improve your sex life, it is also a step towards fighting one of oldest problems in Russia - the violent exploitation of women,' he said, referring to prostitution.

'It is also a great help to people with psychiatric disorders.

'In Spain, for example, 30 per cent of clients are people with mental or physiological problems.'

After each client, the dolls are thoroughly disinfected with 'special solutions' according to 'international standards', he said.

This guarantees there will be no risk of infection, he claimed.

'Some men simply cannot improve their sexual relations with women on their own, which leads to latent dissatisfaction, which, in turn, can evolve into aggression,' he said.

'This issue can only be solved by a professional 'call girl,' who is ready to hear him out and make his sexual fantasies come true for money.'

Police in North Carolina are under fire after a video emerged of an officer choking and slamming an African-American man.

In a video posted to Facebook, an officer in a tactical vest can be seen pushing a young African-American man in formal attire against a wall, choking him and then hurling him on the ground in front of a Waffle House.

"Get your hands off me", the man repeatedly shouts.

The town of Warsaw, North Carolina's chief of police told the Raleigh News & Observer that his department was investigating the incident, as was district attorney Ernie Lee.

"We are currently investigating the whole incident, interviewing witnesses and gathering additional video", police chief Eric Southerland said in a statement.

Anthony Wall had taken his 16-year-old sister out for food after she attended prom and got into an argument with Waffle House employees, the 22-year-old Mr Wall told ABC11. When the police arrived, he said, things turned violent.

"I was pretty much trying to scream for air and trying to breathe because he was holding my throat and that's when I got aggressive with him because you are choking me", Mr Wall said.

He was charged with resisting arrest and with disorderly conduct relating to his altercation with the restaurant staff.

Australian Reggae and Dancehall producer Jake Savona's latest project brings the unique flavor of two Caribbean countries together. Havana Meets Kingston is a compilation project that focuses on bringing the "best of both worlds" through the music cultures of, Cuba and Jamaica, something that has never been done before.

Savona (aka Mista Savona) saw an opportunity to marry both islands' outstanding music styles by bringing a host of legendary and influential artistes together in one place to produce tracks in Spanish, English and Jamaican patois. The project features over 50 Cuban, Jamaican and International artistes such as Gaston Joya, Brenda Navarette, Julito Padron, Beatriz Marquez, Leroy Sibbles, Lutan Fyah, Randy Valentine, Micah Shemiah, Cali P and Glasford 'Porti' Manning & The Jewels. The main goal was to "bring Jamaican sound system and bass culture together with Cuba's electrifying and virtuosic Afro-Cuban and jazz traditions" and the end product was phenomenal.

The combination of Jamaican roots reggae, dub and dancehall with Cuban salsa, rumba and Afro-Cuban sounds has created a collaboration that, according to one of the contributors involved, is both fun and fresh. The dynamic duo Sly & Robbie, Bongo Hermon and Bo Peep have all contributed their music styles to this project and visited Cuba in order to record with musicians there.

Talking on the project Sly said "It was a great experience working on this musical venture; I got to work with some very talented people from here in Jamaica and in Cuba. This offering is something very new and at the same time deeply rooted, cultured and bold."

The first single off the album is Carnival which features British-Jamaican singer Randy Valentine and Cuban singer Solis.

Distributed by VPal Music, the album was released in in two parts - the first in November 2017 and the second in March 2018. Following its release, many of the musicians came together and embarked on a 3 week tour in Australia and New Zealand.

Upcoming promotional plans include an album launch to be done later on in Jamaica. A documentary capturing various aspects of the project's development in both Jamaica and Cuba has also been created, with contributions from filmmaker Rick Mereki, producer Lauren Rosa Beck and photographer Lara Merrington.

While Kartel's lawyer, Tom Tavares Finson could not confirm if Kartel had been transferred to St Catherine District prison he however pointed to Kartel's upcoming appeal on July 7th and expressed optimism about the deejay's chanced to have the conviction quashed.

"I believe that we have an excellent chance to overturn the conviction, we shall see on July 7th," he said.

Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, along with three co-accused, including Kahiro Jones, were convicted of the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams.

They are all now serving life sentences as a result of the conviction.

Jailed businessman Huey Gowdie has failed in his bid to have Jamaica's second-highest court throw out his conviction and 10-year prison sentence for shooting well-known businessman Shango Jackson to death in the upscale St Andrew community of Beverly Hills.

The Court of Appeal, in its decision handed down last Friday, rejected legal arguments by Gowdie's attorneys that aspects of his 2016 murder trial were unfair and that the sentence was "manifestly excessive".

"The application for leave to appeal against conviction and sentence is refused," the panel of three judges ruled.

"In all the circumstances, the sentence cannot be regarded as manifestly excessive and there is no basis for this court to interfere with the sentence imposed," the added.

Gowdie was found guilty of manslaughter in the Home Circuit Court in May 2016, four years after he shot Jackson three times during a dispute at the Shenstone Drive premises they shared in July 2012.

Nearly two months after his conviction, Gowdie was sentenced to 10 years in prison at hard labour by Justice Evon Brown, who presided over the trial.

At the time of the killing, Gowdie was involved in a romantic relationship with Jackson's ex-wife. The couple lived in a separate house at the same Shenstone Drive premises where Shango Jackson resided.

Yardflex has confirmed that popular sound system selector, Niko Chromatic, has died.

The selector's immediate family confirmed his passing, but up to press time neither them nor his Chromatic family had made an official statement.

It is being reported that the Chromatic selector passed away on Tuesday following a long battle with kidney disease.

Niko Chromatic, whose real name is Nicholas Grant, was diagnosed with renal failure in 2015 and over the past two years, his health has been on a steady decline.

Last year a Gofundme account was created to raise funds for the dancehall disc jockey to get life-saving treatment for his illness overseas. There was also a special event held November last year to raise funds to send him overseas for treatment. Many showed their support, but the fund fell short of the target.

Several entertainers and fans donated to the Niko Chromatic Medical Fund.

Niko Chromatic is a co-founder of the famed Chromatic Sound System.

Several tributes have started to pour in for the much loved selector.

Friends and music insiders have been sending condolences via social media.

The security forces on Saturday recovered another firearm in St James, bringing to nine the number of illegal guns and over 300 rounds of assorted ammunition recovered in the parish over a 24-hour period.

Four AK-47 assault rifles were among the weapons taken out of the hands of hoodlums during the clampdown .

The guns were all found in the Ramble Hill area of the parish during sustained operations by members of the security forces. The team first found four M-16 rifles and over 150 assorted rounds on a premises in the area on Friday, police said.

Four bullet proof vests and magazines were also recovered. Then before the day was done, they found four handguns and over 100 rounds of ammunition in the same area.

The team returned to the area on Saturday where they again reaped success when they seized another handgun and several ammunition.

The police have released the identities of two gunmen who reported attempted to commit robberies and murders, and were subsequently killed during a shootout with law enforcers in Islington, St Mary on Friday night.

The men have been identified as 26-year-old Shavaughn Gordon of Smith Lane, Kingston, and 38-year-old Kadini Harrison, otherwise called 'Kaddi,' of Baccas Wood, Islington St Mary.

Two illegal guns were also reported seized during a search for the men after the exchange of gunfire.

According to the police's Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), "the Jamaica Constabulary Force's strategy to deal with the displacement of criminals resulted in the plans of four men (mainly) from Kingston, contracted to carry out killings and robberies in St Mary, being thwarted when they were intercepted on Sports Road in Islington."

Reports are that about 11:30 p.m., a team of officers was on patrol in the area when the driver of a Nissan Bluebird motorcar with the men aboard was signalled to stop.

The driver complied, but the men opened gunfire at the police from the vehicle.The attack was repelled and the men abandoned the car and ran. A search of the community was later conducted and two of the men were found dead with gunshot wounds.

A .357 Magnum handgun with six expended cartridge casings, and a Colt pistol with six .45 cartridges, along with a plastic glove with eleven .45 cartridges, were also reportedly found.

The JCF's communication arm indicated that head of the St Mary Police Division, Superintendent Bobette Morgan, has committed that the police will prevent criminals from escalating crime in the rural parish.

The victims in the plane crash have been identified following the discovery of the crash site in Georgia, Trelawny.

They have been identified as Rojorn Campbell, Carlon Snipe and 43-year- old Miguel Jones of Windward Road address in Kingston.

Reports are that about 4:30 p.m.,a Cessna 206 single engine aircraft domestic carrier departed the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James on Thursday, May 3, enroute to the Tinson Pen Aerodrome in Kingston with Campbell as the captain, and Snipe and Jones as passengers.

It was reported that contact was lost with the aircraft while it was in the airspace over Trelawny. A search was subsequently launched, and the aircraft was found destroyed in a densely wooded section of Georgia,Trelawny. The bodies of the three (3) passengers were seen in the area.

The search for a Cessna single engine aircraft which disappeared in Trelawny on Thursday ended on a tragic note when the wreckage of the plane along with the bodies of the two pilots and a mechanic were found in Trelawny shortly before 5 o'clock Friday afternoon.

The plane had departed Sangster International Airport in St. James for Tinson Pen Aerodrome in Kingston. It went off radar about 4:35 p.m. in Duncans, Trelawny.

Major Basil Jarrett, Civil Military Co-operation and Media Officer at the Jamaica Defence Force, gave the update.

Jamaican actress and filmmaker Donisha Prendergast, the granddaughter of reggae legend Bob Marley, was detained by the California police earlier this week three of her friends as they were leaving an AirBnB home to prepare for a socially conscious event they organised.

A neighbour reportedly called police on the group of friends - three of whom were said to be black - while witnessing them depart the premises with their luggage.

"There are four police officers here," said 33 year old Prendergast in a live video post in which she spoke to the apparent owner of the home via a phone call in front of the officers. "We watched your neighbour call the police."

The police demanded that the owner appear in person to verify the identity of Prendergast, who apparently was the one who booked the accommodation.

An officer told Prendergast that she was being detained along the street in order for the officers to investigate and to "cover all our bases".

Prendergast told the cop, "You are investigating but I have a lot of sh*t to do. I have an event to do".

An actress, filmmaker and advocate, Prendergast said she was in California to put on an event ironically titled 'We will Rise Together'. She alluded to racial discrimination as a factor behind the incident.

"So much things to say right now. I got surrounded by the police for being black in a white neighbourhood," Prendergast, the daughter of Sharon Marley, wrote on Instagram.

She added: "I am sad and irritated to see that fear is still the first place police officers go in their pursuit to serve and protect, to the point that protocol supersedes their ability to have discernment. Many have suffered and died in moments like these. That's crazy reality check. Give thanks for life and the ability to stand our ground. We are stronger together. Use your voice collectively."

The incident is the latest in the US to stir up passions about institutional racism and echoes of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Last month, two black men were arrested at Starbucks, and led away in handcuffs accused of trespassing, after the manager called police, saying the men refused to buy anything or leave.

Also in April, a black former White House staffer under Barack Obama, said a neighbor called cops on him while he was moving into his New York City apartment.

A member of the JDF died Wednesday night at a Guest House on Brunswick Avenue in Spanish Town.

Reports are that the 33-year-old married soldier was with an 18-year-old female, and they both went to a gaming lounge to have drinks.

Reports are that the soldier had a popular stout, and the female chose a beer. Other reports are that he had about 12 energy drinks and took a Viagra tablet. The soldier and the female left the bar and went to a room on the said premises, where they had sexual intercourse.

It is further reported that the soldier went to the bathroom immediately after having completed intercourse. The female reported that she then heard a loud stumbling and gave an alarm after running from the room. The soldier was found with blood running from his mouth,nose and genitals.

He was lying on his back in the bathtub.

Police who responded found the soldier lying naked in the bathtub.

The female companion reportedly stated that during intercourse he complaint of chest pains and went to the bathroom where he collapsed. It is speculated that the Red bull and Viagra speed up his heart rate to about 15 times the normal speed.

An associate professor of history responded Tuesday night to Kanye West's argument that black people had chosen to be slaves, providing some context about the brutality of the slave trade.

"When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice," the rapper had said earlier in the day during an appearance on TMZ Live.

Blair L. M. Kelley, who works at North Carolina State University and has taught numerous African-American studies courses, said she has heard "uninformed people" make similar claims.

"I've had young men in my courses say 'they never would have enslaved me,'" she tweeted.

Blair LM Kelley

✔

@profblmkelley

Haven't watched the whole Kanye event today, working my way up to it. I will say, that a milder version of the "slavery is a choice" argument is made by uninformed people all the time. I've had young men in my courses say "they never would have enslaved me."

So she decided to post a little history lesson.

"People aren't aware of the alienation of people ripped from their homes, abused, walked hundreds of miles across Africa, sometimes so far they ceased understanding the language spoken around them," she wrote.

✔

@profblmkelley

People aren't aware of the alienation of people ripped from their homes, abused, walked hundreds of miles across Africa, sometimes so far they ceased understanding the language spoken around them...

She then referred to the slave castles of Ghana, in which people were held in windowless dungeons, or "slave holes," before being loaded onto British ships and sold in the Americas during the 18th century. Former President Barack Obama compared them to Nazi concentration camps in Germany.

✔

@profblmkelley

People don't know the brutality of the slave castles were people were held on the coasts, branded still holding out hope for escape, or reconnection with loved one....

Kelley went on to describe the horrific conditions slaves faced, both while being transported across the ocean and after they left the ships.

✔

@profblmkelley

Could they have survived the devastation of the middle passage, packed less humanely than animals below the deck of the ship, chained to people who were sick and dying?

✔

@profblmkelley

Could they have survived being sold like a good at market by people in a foreign land speaking a foreign tongue? Could they have survived torturous work, in scraps of clothing eating the food that was unwanted?

She pointed out that survivors "managed to make a way to make a new culture, remake family and faith," even after enduring abuse for generations.

✔

@profblmkelley

Not only did my ancestors and Kanye's ancestors survive, they managed to make a way to make a new culture, remake family and faith. And in the process, make a culture so formidable that it continues to change the world.

Kelley ended her thread by coming back to West's comments.

✔

@profblmkelley

Slavery wasn't their choice at any step. We know that freedom was always their choice, resistance was their choice when they couldn't escape.

✔

@profblmkelley

Denigrating their lives at this point for attention and spare change is such an embarrassment.

Dancehall professor, Bounty Killer, has formed an alliance with the National Council on Drug Abuse.

An online promotion by the National Council on Drug Abuse features Rodney Price, aka Bounty Killer on their "Talk The Truth" initiative encouraging teens to stay away from smoking and not make the same mistakes he did.

In a documentary released by the National Council on Drug Abuse, Bounty Killer warns a group of teens about the dangers of smoking marijuana. The dancehall deejay in sharing his childhood experiences explained some of the troubles he underwent as a result of using ganja as a teenager.

Bounty Killer also explained that other entertainers can use their celebrity to help raise awareness.

Entertainers Ikaya and Devin Di Dakta recently partnered with National Council on Drug Abuse to promote getting High grades over "hi-grade."

Word on the street is that Rihanna and Popcaan have gotten together for a musical collab.

The Bajan pop star and "Unruly Boss" teamed up for a Dancehall banger that could be featured on RihRih's coming Reggae album and Popcaan's forthcoming project, sources close to the artistes say.

"The Rihanna and Popcaan track is already recorded we just don't know when to release of if it should be featured on her album or his upcoming project," sources say. "One thing for sure is its gonna drop in the next few months and its a certified hit."

Rihanna and Popcaan linked up in Barbados back in December after she went back home for the street renaming ceremony for 'Rihanna Drive' during Barbados Independence Day.

More than 90 people, including one person of interest, were detained on Thursday as the police and military searched for the gunmen involved in Tuesday's mass shootings in Grange Hill, Westmoreland.

Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson said the 94 detainees are being processed.

He said the police are still looking for the men who were listed as wanted on Wednesday.

"Of the list that was put out yesterday with five wanted persons and five persons of interest, one of the persons of interest have turned in themselves, the others haven't. I would encourage the persons on the list to turn themselves in by 6 o'clock this evening...and then obviously, we'll conduct operations to try and find those persons who haven't turned themselves in," he declared.

Police and soldiers raided several communities.

Thirteen alleged gang members linked to murders and shootings in Westmoreland, were also captured in the raids conducted by the security forces as well as the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC). Assistant Commissioner Fitz Bailey, head of C-TOC, said the police are determined to dismantle criminal gangs in Westmoreland.

"The focus will be looking at the organisation and the network from which they are from. In fact, I will tell you that they are from what we call the Dexter Street gang, these 13 persons... They will be taken into Kingson for further processing," he said.

He said the Dexter Street gang and the rival Darling Street gang have been in a deadly feud over the last year and are responsible for several murders and shootings in the area. An AK-47 rifle and several rounds of ammunition were seized during the operation.

Seventeen people were shot, seven fatally, in Tuesday's attacks. Two children were among the victims.

The Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) has launched an investigation following the arrest and charge of Peter Abrahams, Councillor for the Bog Walk Division, with negligent use of a firearm.

Abrahams was on Wednesday charged and later offered bail.

He was charged following the seizure of his licensed firearm by the police on Tuesday morning during a spot check on the Bog Walk main road.

It was reportedly discovered in a car in which four men were travelling.

"Once a licence holder is questioned by the police in relation to his licensed firearm, the authority is usually notified by the police and that will cause the authority to investigate the individual to see if the person can continue to be entrusted with a licensed firearm," Shane Dalling, Chief Executive Officer of the FLA, said of the probe of Mr. Abrahams.

The four men who were found in possession of the gun are still being questioned by investigators.

Westmoreland police have listed five men from Grange Hill in the parish as wanted and said the suspects are being asked to turn themselves in to the police by midday Thursday,.

The list was released by the law enforcement officials on Wednesday evening, following the shooting death of seven people including two children in the community.

Listed as 'wanted' are:

- Isaiah Perry, otherwise called 'Matthew Perry' or 'Cat' of Kings Valley, Grange Hill, who is wanted for shooting;

- Richard Hamilton otherwise called 'Brutus' or 'Mad Move', 23-year-old, of Paul Island district, Grange Hill, Westmoreland. He is of dark complexion, slim build and is wanted for murder and other related incidents in the division.

- Haldane Hamilton otherwise called 'Fishy' of Paul Island district, Grange Hill. He is of dark complexion, medium build and about 5 feet 11 inches tall. He is wanted for murder;

- Burton Shearer otherwise called 'Bap', 49-year-old of Church Lincoln district, Grange Hill, Westmoreland. He is of dark complexion, slim build and 5 feet 11 inches tall. He is wanted for murder.

"These men are considered armed and dangerous; as such their whereabouts must be reported to the police immediately through Crime Stop at 311, 811 or the Police 119 emergency number," said the police who released the photos of four of the suspects.

The lawmen are also reminding people that "it is not only an offence to harbour criminals and provide a safe haven for them but it also places the lives of family and friends at increased risks of attack."

A total of seven persons were killed in a number of attacks on communities in and around Grange Hill since Tuesday morning, which the police have linked to a lotto scam.

It is being reported that about 8:30 a policeman pulled his gun on a windscreen wiper and opened fire in Liguanea, putting persons lives at risk and actually hitting an innocent female bystander. Reports are that the woman, who was going about her legal business, and just happened to be in the way of the hot-headed policeman's bullets, picked up three shot. .

The bullet missed the intended target, who was said to be the windscreen wiper, and hit the innocent woman instead.

This morning, windscreen wiper, Christopher Rhoden, told The Gleaner his side of the story.

Rhoden said he approached the man's car and attempted to wipe his windscreen but he would not allow it.

"Him select up him gun, so mi say, 'bossy what dat fah, a wah yuh a go do? Kill mi inna de mawnin ya?' Him say him nah tek no check from no man,".

He said the driver then parked at a gas station, exited the car and chased him.

"Run him a run mi dung now, and select the gun, and fire it ... and it (the bullet) end up in a woman right over deh soh; fi nutten at all," Rhoden alleged.

Schools in Grange Hill, Westmoreland, and surrounding environs were closed early on Wednesday as fear gripped sections of the community following Monday's murderous rampage by gunmen who shot and killed multiple persons and injured several others in separate incidents.

The security forces have blanketed the community and top government and law enforcement officials including National Security Minister, Dr Horace Chang and police commissioner Major General Antony Anderson as well as Member of Parliament Dr Wykeham McNeill, the mayor of savanna-la-mar and the Westmoreland custos are now visiting the area.

The carnage began about 7:30 last night in a section of the community called Sterling when gunmen broke into a house and opened fire on 39-year-old Nadine Rowe and her 12-year-old son Nicoy Bourne, killing them.

Hours later, gunmen invaded a bar in Top Lincoln between 11 o' clock and 12 midnight and unleashed a barrage of gunfire on patrons killing two persons and injuring several others.

Around the same time, men armed with guns carried out a drive-by in Morgan Bridge shooting several persons including Odaine Drummond, who died from his injuries.

A woman had to be rushed to hospital after being accidentally shot by a licensed firearm holder on the grounds of the Sovereign Centre in St Andrew this morning.

Its reported that the gun owner opened fire on a windscreen wiper which hit the woman causing her to fall to the ground.

A medical doctor and bystanders rushed to the scene and assisted the injured woman into a Sports Utility Vehicle and took her to hospital. The woman seemed to have been shoot three times, twice in the abdomen and once in a leg, the doctor surmised.

According to a report in the Gleaner, their newsteam attempted to speak with the alleged shooter, who was accompanied by a policeman, but he refused to answer questions.The shooter was shielded by the policeman, who took him inside Sovereign.

Another policeman reportedly instructed the alleged shooter not to speak.

However, the windscreen wiper, who has been named as Christopher Rhoden, and who was the alleged target of the gunfire, told the newspaper his side of the story.

Rhoden said he approached the man's car and attempted to wipe his windscreen but he would not allow it. The windscreen wiper, Rhoden, is quoted as saying: "Him select up him gun, so mi say, "bossy what dat fah, a wah yuh a go do? Kill mi inna de mawnin ya?", him say him nah tek no check from no man,".

He said the driver then parked at a gas station, exited the car and chased him.

"Run him a run mi dung now, and select the gun, and fire it ... and it (the bullet) end up in a woman right over deh soh; fi nutten at all," Rhoden alleged.

Two male bystanders who alleged that they witnessed the incident echoed Rhoden's account.

"Mi call to the man before the man fire the gun, enuh, an de man still fire the gun. De man is a wicked man. Dem people deh nuh fi have gun. Because mi call to de man, when mi call to the man, the man turn roun and look pon mi!" alleged one of the eyewitnesses.

will.i.am broke down with emotion while discussing Kanye West's recent Twitter tirade during an appearance on Wednesday's episode of Good Morning Britain. He added: 'That statement was one of the most ignorant statements that anybody who came from the hood could ever say about their ancestors, that slavery is a choice. What are you talking about.'

The Voice judge, 43, admitted he 'wanted to cry' when he saw his friend's latest tweet, in which the rapper, 40, claimed slavery was a 'choice'.

In an impassioned rant that garnered plenty of online support, Will claimed Kanye was 'ignorant' and that his remarks were 'harmful', adding that although they were friends, he could no longer recognise Kanye as being the same person.

Kanye has been widely criticised after an appearance on Tuesday's TMZ Live, when he said: 'When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice' later reiterating the comment in a series of tweets.

Will hit back at the remarks, admitting: 'That broke my heart, because I thought about my grandma, who was born in 1920, and her connection with her mom who raised her, who was born in the late 1800s.

'And my grandmother's grandma, who was a slave. And when you're a slave, you're owned.

'You don't choose if you're owned. When you're a slave you're deprived of education. That's not choice, that's by force.'

Claiming that Kanye is 'ignorant', he continued: 'So I understand the need to have free thought, but if your thoughts aren't researched, that is just going to hurt those that are still in conditions where it's not choice...

'That when they go down the street and there's a liqueur store and fast-food restaurants and your education is not being funded the same way that it is being in Calabasas, when governments stifle and limit the amount of money that goes to Chicago, Bronx, Watts, 5th Ward Mississippi, East Los Angeles, where I'm from.'

The Greater Portmore and Kingston Central Police are investigating the abduction and killing of a cosmetologist by gunmen two weeks ago.

The cops say 23-year-old Aneika Thompson, a resident of George's Lane in Central Kingston, was abducted when she left home to visit relatives in the Waltham Park Road area.

They say a few days after she was reported missing, residents of Waterford in St. Catherine saw a woman running from a vehicle crying for help.

The woman was shot several times in the head and her body bundled back into the vehicle by armed men.

Crime scene investigators found a pair of slippers at the scene.Relatives of the missing woman have identified the slippers as belonging to Miss Thompson. The cops are awaiting DNA on blood samples taken from the scene for a positive identification.

It is reported that Miss Thompson became a target of gunmen in her community last year after she resisted their advances.

Wisynco Group Limited has withdrawn the legal action it filed against the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) over the public education campaign 'Are You Drinking Yourself Sick'.

It has also agreed to pay the legal costs for the foundation, a non-profit organisation.

Chairman of Wisynco William Mahfood said the decision was made after the heart foundation filed court papers indicating that it had "inadvertently and unintentionally" included the CranWata beverage in a social media post related to the campaign.

Mahfood said the foundation went further to indicate that it has taken the necessary steps to ensure the post was no longer accessible on the Internet and that no other "offending" material related to the beverage would be published.

Lawyers for both sides appeared in the Supreme Court today when, according to Mahfood, his company accepted the sworn statement of the foundation.

Wisynco triggered public backlash last week when The Gleaner first reported that it had filed legal action against the foundation to prevent the non-government organisation from repeating information posted on Instagram last month as part of its campaign to warn Jamaicans about the harmful health effects of excessive sugar intake.

The Jamaican conglomerate asserted the post conveyed inaccurate information about the sugar content in its CranWata beverage and claimed, as a result, that it was defamatory.

A magistrate Monday sentenced a pastor, his wife and daughter to four years in prison after they were found guilty of pouring hot liquid on a man following what they described as a "spiritual warfare" two years ago.

Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett imposed the sentence on Nigel Morgan, his wife Althia, and their 23-year-old daughter, Crystal, following the assault on Cuthbert "Mafia" Victory, which left him with burns to his back, shoulders, chest, and face.

Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delplesche had argued that the trio had planned the assault on Victory on April 9, 2016.

A video of the incident, which was widely circulated on social media, showed the older Morgans holding Victory while their daughter pours on him what was later revealed to be a hot liquid.

The video was not tendered in evidence, reportedly because police did not secure a deposition from the person who did the recording.

In her defence, Crystal Morgan told the court that she was feeling ill and was about to make a cup of tea when she heard noises that suggested that her parents were under attack.

"I felt as if my soul left my body," she told the Kingstown Magistrate Court even as she acknowledged that she could not recall how she left the kitchen on the upper floor of their two-storey house, to the street, where she poured the hot water on the man.

She told the court that even up to the point of giving evidence she did not know who it was that she had hurt.

In their defence, the older Morgans presented themselves as having been under attack by Victory, a 39-year-old construction worker, who had gone to visit a friend who was the Morgans' neighbour.

However, they admitted in court that they had attempted to use olive oil on the man while praying for him even though he had not requested any spiritual help.

But the state's main witness, Clint Antoine, who was the Morgans' neighbour at the time of the incident, told the court that the pastor and his wife had been engaged in an exchange of words with Victory.

He said during the fracas Morgan placed his hand on the bottle then placed it above Victory's forehead. The witness said Victory swung his hand and Mrs. Morgan held on to him and they began fighting.

Antoine told the court that the trio continued fighting before Victory was subdued by the Morgans and the daughter then poured the contents of a black and silver kettle on him.

Macka Diamond's latest music video for "Prove It" featuring fellow artiste, Spotlight Kunta has set tongues wagging, with many wondering on social media if their collaboration is just musical, or if there is a tad bit more.

The music video tells the tale of reality series which is entitled "Spotlight on the Diamond". This is just soooooo cute.

Anyway, it shows Macka Diamond and Spotlight Kunta all giggly and acting like young lovers.

Macka Diamond is expected to milk this for all the attention that shw could possibly get, so, naturally, she is tight-lipped about the actual staus of her relationsip with Spolight.

Macka keeps fans and haters alike guessing whether or not she is enjoying an intimate relationship with Spotlight Kunta, however,she did reveal that Spotlight Kunta is working on the "Spotlight on the Diamond" reality series.

This is not the first time Macka Diamond has appeared on camera with and Spotlight Kunta, In 2006 Spotlight Kunta was Macka's love interest in the popular song "Bun Him" featuring Black-ER.

Sting and Shaggy's new, island-inspired collaborative album 44/876 is available now at all retailers and digital platforms on A&M/Interscope Records

In creating 44/876, Sting and Shaggy drew from the many surprising connections at the heart of their music. With its title referencing their home country codes, 44/876 first and foremost honors the duo's love for Jamaica: Shaggy's homeland, and the place where Sting penned such classics as The Police's "Every Breath You Take."

Furthering each artist's exploration of reggae and its transcendent rhythms, the lead single "Don't Make Me Wait" - which debuted at #1 on Billboard's digital reggae singles chart - came to life after the musicians were introduced by Martin Kierszenbaum

(Sting's manager, Chairman of The Cherrytree Music Company

and Shaggy's former A&R executive).

The correlating music video, directed by Gil Green, was filmed in Kingston, Jamaica and has garnered over 8.5 million views on YouTube.

Although the initial plan was for Sting to lend his vocals and musical finesse solely to this track, the two discovered that their distinct voices blended with incredible ease. Compelled by their creative synergy, Sting and Shaggy soon amassed an album's worth of material. "Everything about it is organic--it was never planned," says Shaggy of 44/876.

Recording in New York City, they enlisted a lineup of esteemed musicians and writers from Jamaica and New York, including the legendary Robbie Shakespeare of Sly and Robbie, dancehall sensation Aidonia, Morgan Heritage (courtesy of CTBC Music Group), Agent Sasco as well as Branford Marsalis and Sting's longtime guitarist,

Sting and Shaggy will take their collaboration on the road this summer when the two Grammy-award winning artists embark on a European tour of various historic venues, performing their most celebrated hits as well as songs off their new album together.

Fans, critics and fellow musicians have already shown incredible support for 44/876.

Ninjaman is obviously resigned to the fact that he has at least a quarter of a century left behind bars, so, he's doing the only sensible thing - making the best of a bad existence.

Over the weekend, footage surfaced online of the veteran recording artiste allegedly in prison and looking quite upbeat...like nuff tings a gwaan fi him. You woulda never believe say is prison him deh..

The video clips shows Ninjaman, dressed in virginal white and sporting a brand new pair of Desert Clarks. He's saying all sorts of stuff..talking about his appearance and how clean he's looking. UP UP UP Genna

Last December Ninjaman was sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder conviction. He was given was given 25 years at hard labour for the 2009 murder of Ricardo 'Ricky Trooper' Johnson and 20 years for shooting with intent.

Judge Martin Gayle says he must serve at least 25 years in prison before he is eligible to be released.

Finally, Love and Hip-hop Atlanta viewers who have been watching Spice on the show this season saw her in a full blown brawl on Monday's show....and what a brawl is was, physical and lyrical. Bare tingz. Some loved it, others thought it was a bit ratchet.

Anyway, the Queen of the Stage is seen arguing with her close friend Tommie Lee about her drinking problem which caused a delay with their upcoming music video, and she went all out...no holding back her spitfire lyrics..

In another scene Spice is on a ranch with cast members, and here is where things get SPICY. Spice decides that the most appropriate thing to do is fight newcomer Tokyo Vanity. So she hurls a plate with cake at Tokyo, during an argument and, of course, all hell bruk loose.

After all the drama, Spice, being Spice, just had to take to Instagram to say her piece:....''yea there are a few fans who believe that because of my status I should not be involved in such a brawl....however I refuse to sit down and allow any one to disrespect me regardless of me being the current "Queen of the dancehall so this post is just to tell the "Few" haters to ......bleeep.............!!!

Garth Henriques, the father of international reggae star, Sean Paul, passed away on Thursday after spending over two months in hospital battling from an ailment.

The artiste, whose real name is Sean Paul Francis Henriques, updated fans on Twitter: "With deep regret, I announce the passing of my father, Garth Henriques," tweeted Sean Paul."On behalf of our family, I wish to thank everyone who has offered their kind words and sincere condolences in this time of bereavement. I wish to extend my appreciation to the doctors, nurses and medical team at the University Hospital of the West Indies, and many fan, friends and family who donated blood and offered good wishes." Last month, he reported that his father was in the intensive care unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), and was in dire need of O Negative blood.

"We have been asking family and friends to give blood if they can, but right now he's in dire need of blood, so if anybody can help out, I would greatly appreciate it," Sean Paul had said.

In a video posted on social media back then, the artiste said his father's illness was the reason he had been keeping a low profile musically over the last few months.

He did not disclose what the illness was.

Hopes of seeing his father improve were dashed on Thursday, as the family reported that the senior Henriques had passed away.

The entertainer has asked for some level of privacy during the challenging period for the family.

Female artiste Dovey MAgnum scored a hit in the dancehall with the sexplicit song Bawl Out and now, gospel artiste Chozenn has chosen to ride di riddim with Christian lyrics.

Chozenn debuted the song recently, and it has even been played on radio already. However, many say that Chozenn has gone a bit too far.

In his defence he stated: "Naturally, this song will provoke emotions, but this move of God shows anything bad can become good. I am not an escapist I strongly oppose escapism, The harsh reality social media, and television as poisoned the minds of our Children. Rape, molestation, early pregnancy and so much more is sadly what is happening to our youth, Music is powerful, the core agenda is to target our youth and provide an option to what they're hearing, in our taxis, buses, supermarkets, communities and surprisingly our homes. Reggae and Dancehall is Jamaica's authentic sound to the beat as it captivates the mind effortlessly. As a minister of the Gospel in these last days, we have to use wisdom and tap into our culture and invade it positively. However, while we marvel men God gets all the glory, we use songs and methods like these to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord works in a mysterious way this is another way he is using me (Chozenn) to share his word radically. I refuse to accept that this general is lost, If you are not a Christian while reading this you, yes you! I am praying for you to accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour. If you are saved and overly critical and deeply religious it's not for you but don't be quick to Judge God will be back to Judge the hearts of Men. I love you all and I am praying for this nation and world." [HOSEA 4:6]

US President Donald Trump has cancelled a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, blaming tremendous anger and open hostility from the North.

He said it was possible a meeting could still take place but warned North Korea against committing foolish acts.

The summit aimed to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons and would have been the first time a sitting US president met a North Korean leader.

Doubts had emerged on both sides whether the talks would take place.

Trump's announcement marks a fresh twist in the turbulent relationship between himself and Mr. Kim.

Meanwhile, a commemorative coin to mark the occasion is still available for purchase, the White House says. The coin bears the images of Tump and Kim and the year, 2018, and also the words 'peace talks'.

Lawyers representing jailed dancehall entertainers Vybz Kartel and Shawn "Storm" Campbell will have to wait until July in order to apply to introduce fresh evidence in their case before the Appeal Court.

Justice Dennis Morrison, President of the Appeal Court, declined to hear the application on Thursday during a case management hearing.

"The application was further put off to be heard on the 9th of July," said attorney Bert Samuels, who represents Vybz Kartel and Campbell.

He said the evidence, which was left out at the trial of the men, is crucial to the their appeal - the first hearing of which is also on July 9.

The lawyers were successful on Thursday in filing additional grounds of appeal for Shawn Campbell.

In addition to the late grounds being filed, "orders were made for the prosecution to respond to the arguments and the grounds made by Shawn Campbell because in breach of the orders, the prosecution had not yet given a response to the grounds filed," Mr. Samuels explained.

Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adijah Palmer, Shawn Campbell, along with Kahira Jones and Andre St. John were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 for the 2011 murder of Clive "Lizard" Williams.

The Greater Portmore Police are searching for gunmen behind Thursday morning's deadly attack in Gregory Park, St. Catherine, which left a race horse groom dead. He has been identified as Orlando Marshall otherwise called Coolie.

His girlfriend was also shot and has been hospitalised.

It is reported that shortly after two o'clock, Mr. Marshall and his girlfriend were asleep at their Dover Avenue residence, when armed men kicked off the door and opened gunfire on them.

The police say arrangements are being made to interview Leighton "Livity" Coke, the brother of extradited West Kingston strongman Christopher "Dudus" Coke, who was wanted for murder.

They say another man, Christopher "Titi Man" Coke, is also in custody and that he too is to be questioned in relation to the incident.

The police say both men were wanted in relation to the March 12, 2018 murder of Patrick Davis in Rockfort, Kingston 2.

The police say they surrendered to investigators at the Elletson Road Police in Kingston last evening accompanied by their attorneys, this after they were listed among five men wanted by the police in relation to a murder investigation.

Still being sought are Lanchester Coke otherwise called "Bamma T", David Biggs alias "Allen" and a man who goes by the alias "Ratty".

Due to Weather Warnings Best of the Best Music Festival has been moved to Mana Wynwood Convention Center located at 318 NE 23rd Street Miami Florida.

10,000 Sq Ft to stage this year's Best of the Best Music Festival.

"Safety has always been the first priority, therefore we have decided to take the concert indoors. We can't control Mother Nature, but cancelling the show was NOT an option either. We had to take into consideration all the persons who purchased tickets, purchased flights and booked hotels to be a part of this premiere event and therefore the show MUST GO ON" says co-promoter Steve "Jabba" Beckford.

Shocking footage from China shows a woman biting down on a man's tongue, refusing to let go until police use what appears to be pepper spray on her. According to witnesses, the man had attempted to break up with her, sparking the bloody incident.

(AFP) -- President Donald Trump violated the US constitution by blocking Twitter users who disagree with him, a federal judge ruled Wednesday in a case closely watched for implications for online free speech.

Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald said the blocking of Trump critics -- which prevent them from seeing and interacting with the president's tweets -- violated the free speech rights of those users guaranteed in the constitution's First Amendment.

In a 75-page opinion, the New York federal judge said the users "were indisputably blocked as a result of viewpoint discrimination" and that this was "impermissible under the First Amendment."

The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by a group of Twitter users and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

The lawsuit contended that because Trump uses Twitter for a variety of policy announcements, his Twitter account is "a designated public forum" that cannot exclude people due to their political views.

The judge acknowledged that even though the president has certain free speech rights, he cannot violate the rights of other Twitter users.

"While we must recognize, and are sensitive to, the president's personal First Amendment rights, he cannot exercise those rights in a way that infringes the corresponding First Amendment rights of those who have criticized him," she said in her opinion.

Buchwald stopped short of accepting the request for an injunction against Trump and his social media aide, Dan Scavino, who was also named in the complaint, saying she expected the White House to abide by her "declaratory" ruling.

"Because no government official is above the law and because all government officials are presumed to follow the law once the judiciary has said what the law is, we must assume that the president and Scavino will remedy the blocking we have held to be unconstitutional," she wrote.

Leighton 'Livity' Coke has been listed among five men wanted by the Kingston Eastern Police Division today.

According to the police, Coke, who is the brother of imprisoned gangster Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, and the other men are wanted in connection with the murder of 31-year-old Patrick Davis otherwise called 'P Boy'.

Police say Davis' body was found in Rockfort, Kingston, on Monday, March 12.

The other four men are:

Lanchester Coke otherwise called 'Bamma T';

Christopher Coke alias 'Titti Man';

David Biggs alias 'Alien' ;

and a man only known as Ratty.

Lawmen said that the men are being asked to turn themselves in immediately.

The police have described Tommy Lee as a dangerous gangster who is behind many criminal activities in St James. Ealan Powell, the police commander in charge of the State of Public Emergency in St James, has described the hardcore entertainer as a "serious gangster."

"Tommy Lee, as far as we know, is a serious gangster... Somebody who intelligence report indicate, is behind a lot the criminal activities in St James," Powell said.

He also dismissed assertions that the police transferred Tommy Lee to Montego Day and detained him under the state of emergency to avoid having to release him.

"You can be held anywhere under the state of emergency. If we believe that you flee the state of emergency we can hold you anywhere," he explained.

In the meantime, Powell says investigators will respect the entertainer's human and constitutional rights, but will not relent in their investigations.

"If we have intelligence that he is involved in criminal activities we are going to seek to interview him and to carry out investigations around him irrespective of who he is," Powell insisted.

Tommy Lee's newest attorney, Donahue Martin has complained about a photo of the entertainer dressed in an underwear while in custody being circulated via social media.

"I was made aware of that picture and I find it very unprofessional, and we do intend to write to the relevant authorities, in particular the commissioner of police, to ascertain why it is that this is being done while somebody is a guest of the state," said Martin.

"I believe it had to have been taken by a member of the police, and I find it extremely unprofessional. We expect the commissioner to respond and to deal with whatever disciplinary action ought to be taken," Martin added.

Dancehall entertainer Tommy Lee Sparta whose real name is Leroy Russell will remain behind bars until next weekTuesday, May 29

Parish judge Sandria Wong Small have given the St James police permission to hold the Sparta deejay for another seven days after which he must be charged or released from custody. She made the order after the entertainer's attorneys, Tom Tavares-Finson and Donahue Martin, made a habeas corpus application on his behalf in the St James Parish Court today. A habeas corpus application is a writ which requires that a detainee be brought before a judge, especially to secure his release, unless lawful grounds are shown for continued detention.

Tommy Lee Sparta, was transferred from Kingston to the Freeport Police Station in Montego Bay on Monday morning, hours after he was taken into custody in the corporate area. The police say Tommy Lee is being held under the state of public emergency in St James, although they deny that he was transported to St James specifically for this reason.

The American record producer uploaded Alkaline's brand new single "Pick Unuh Side" to his Instagram account with over 10.3 Million followers on Monday.

Khaled loved the track instantly especially because Alkaline gave his son Asahd a shoutout. "Star from me born something like Asahd," the Dancehall heavyweight deejays over the catchy beat produced by Chimney Records.

DJ Khaled endorsement will definitely be helping Alkaline's upcoming project due later this year. Meanwhile, the Vendetta boss reunited with his MVP team over the weekend when he performed in Washington D.C with Mavado and Jahmiel.

Cricketer Marlon Samuels has again gone overboard with his social media antics towards Yanique the Curvy Diva Barrett. Samuels last week issued an online bounty on the head of Yanique for the general public to search for her and message him her location with the hope of a monetary reward that increased on a daily basis. All this effort was to serve her with legal papers which Samuels claims Yanique was avoiding and had been in hiding.

The cricketer took the opportunity to then issue a second bounty for persons to capture video footage of Yanique being served with the alleged papers last Saturday night at the Magnum Kings and Queens Finals at Melbourne Cricket Club.

"If you have a document for Yanique you know who her Lawyer is so sending out a bounty online putting her in danger in public is unnecessary. Having your friend bleach out backstage to give her a document at 1am Sunday Morning at Magnum final show while you wait outside in your car is second hand stalking and you need to stop" A source close to the Curvy Diva explained

The source also confirmed that these tactics by Samuels are dangerous for the safety of Yanique The Curvy Diva, her daughter and her team as well as anyone who would approach her in public at Samuels' behest.

"Yanique's security detail has the right to bodily harm anyone who approaches the artiste in a threatening manner, so people can get hurt trying to collect $20,000," The source added

The source also detailed that the document in question is a letter from Samuels' lawyer asking specifically for an apology from The Curvy Diva, the document is in no way a court document served as commencement of any law suit from Samuels which is what a few persons have been incorrectly speculating.

"All this social media antics for an apology request letter? This is obviously attention seeking behavior, a court summons cant be served after 6pm especially on a weekend so that would not have even been legal and no clerk of the court would have even been a part of that,' The source added.

The source also made it clear that the Curvy Diva will not be responding to Samuels on social media because her lawyer is the one who has been given the authority to address all matters related to this case.

On Sunday Tommy Lee Sparta went to an ATM in Manor Park, St Andrew, with his manager Tanya Thelwell after leaving the finale of the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall show when he was detained.

"He was abducted at gunpoint by men in masks and taken to the Half-Way-Tree Police Station where it turned out that the men were police officers," said Smith. "Some time ago they had accused him of causing trouble in Montego Bay. The man has since moved and they are still accusing him of things that happen in the parish. I want to know who down there wants him and I'm going to speak with a judge to set up a hearing application for his release. They moved him like a thief in the night."

This is not the first time Tommy Lee Sparta has featured on the cops's radar.

He, along with three others, were charged jointly in February 2014 with suspected breaches of the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transaction) (Special Provisions) Act, 2013. The trial was scheduled to begin last October.

In June 2017, he was questioned and subsequently released by members of the Elleston Road Police Station about a shooting in the division. In January that same year, former head of the St James Police division, Senior Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth, listed the artiste as a person of interest in relation to crime in sections of Flanker in St James.

A former member of Vybz Kartel's Portmore Empire, Tommy Lee Sparta is known for songs including Grim Rim Rave, Holding Out the Pressure, Happy Life, Shook, Some Bwoy, Buss A Blank and We Want Paper.

The lawyer for Tommy Lee Sparta is crying foul over the abrupt transfer of his client from Kingston to Montego Bay to face charges. Reports are that the dancehall artiste was arrested on Sunday while at an ATM in MAnor Park by maked policemen. He was taken to the says the police "kidnapped" his client from Half-Way-Tree police lock-up yesterday and took him to St James without his knowledge.

According to Smith, he had requested a habeas corpus at the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court yesterday which would allow his client to appear before a judge and granted release. But the lawyer later found out that the entertainer was removed from the lockup. The attorney said he had no knowledge as to where in Montego Bay his client was being held.

"About an hour ago I received information that Tommy Lee had been carted to Montego Bay where there is a state of emergency... Men came for him at 8:00 am this morning (yesterday) and kidnapped him, so to speak. I had no idea this was done and clearly it was done to desist my habeas corpus application tomorrow (today) in Half-Way-Tree. I find it hard to believe that a senior officer had no idea that the citizen had been carted to Montego Bay when we spoke," he reportedly told morning tabloid, Jamaica Observer.

Five persons died in a two-vehicle collision on the Orchard main road in Hopewell, Hanover Sunday night. Two other persons have been seriously injured.

The deceased were all occupants of the same vehicle.

Three of them have been identified. They are 28 year old Joseph Brown, Phillip Jones, and Nicholas French.

The police report that, shortly after 10 o'clock, a gray Toyota Corolla Kingfish, driven by Mr. Brown, with four passengers, drifted into the path of a white Toyota Corolla wagon travelling in the opposite direction.

All the occupants of the Kingfish died at the scene.

Two persons from the other vehicle have been hospitalised in serious condition.

The final case management conference ahead of the July 9 appeal by Adidja Palmer AKA Vybz Kartel, and the three other men who were convicted of murder along with him, is set for this Thursday.

The session is scheduled as the last exercise before Kartel, Shawn Storm; and two other co-convicts, Kahira Jones and Andre St John, face the Appeal Court in relation to the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams in August 2011.

The appeal is expected to run for about three weeks.

Reports are that all is in place for the big day in court on July 9, as the legal groundwork has been done and positioning on the matter between the prosecution and the defence has been established between the two sides.

The four men were convicted of Williams' murder in March 2014, and were each given life sentences, with the recommended time-frames before eligibility for parole running up to 35 years in the case of Kartel.

Shawn Storm is the latest entertainer to be transferred within the prison system.

According to reports, the "Gaza Nuh Tek Diss" deejay was also moved the same week as his mentor Vybz Kartel and Ninjaman.

Shawn Storm is now being housed at the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, formerly known as the General Penitentiary (GP) along with co-accused Kahiro Jones.

The shakeup comes after a leaked prison video of Ninjaman went viral.

In the clip which surfaced late April, the former Downsound Records artiste, whose given name is Desmond Ballentine, can be seen smoking a spliff, while showing off his brand new pair of Clarks to fellow inmates and jokingly telling them he is a modern day bad man.

"A we mek jail look like blood*****t road. Clarks clean like whistle, bottom brand new," the former Downsound records deejay said as inmates cheered him on, "We a modern badman wid modern badness," he continued.

The video resulted in Ninjaman being sent to the Horizon Adult Remand Centre in Kingston and Vybz Kartel was transferred to the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre in Spanish Town.

Vybz Kartel and Shawn Storm are currently preparing for their appeal trial set for July 9. Kartel, Shawn Storm, Jones and St John were found guilty of murder in March 2014 for killing Clive 'Lizard' Williams in August 2011.

Belize Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber has confirmed that he was "detained for about three hours" last month when he visited the United States because police thought he fitted the description of a man who was about to launch a gun attack on a school.

Faber, who appeared on a television programme on Thursday night, confirmed that the incident occurred on April 20 in Henry County, telling viewers "there was an incident in the United States with the Henry County Sherriff,".

Faber said that he had gone to the school where his two children are studying and was welcomed by the principal.

"I had called the schools to say that I would be visiting and I was welcomed by the principal, to say you are able to come in. I wanted to check on their progress and I wanted to ensure that the school was aware that I am very much interested in their wellbeing, in their learning environment there and so on," he said.

"So I made those arrangements and upon arriving at the school on the day that was scheduled, I was greeted by the police and I was held to gunpoint and arrested and I was detained for about three hours."

The Deputy Prime Minister said that he later learned that there was a 911 call made to the police claiming that "I was going to the school to shoot, and in fact that I was a threat.

"According to the Henry County Sheriff's office, they said that I was described by name and by features and so naturally I cannot blame the police for doing what they did. They acted in a manner that I think we would act here in Belize if we received information that a school was threatened,".

"Naturally, the police, later on, found out that that was never my intention, that the school was actually expecting me to visit. It's a normal situation for a parent to check in, especially if you don't live in the country where the children are going to school,".

Faber said that the police apologised "profusely and in fact told me that they would be investigating the 911 call.

"They told me the specifics about the caller and in fact promised me that they would be investigating it further and that in fact, I was a victim. The police apologised profusely and I was allowed to go on my way," Faber said.

Faber said that his two children had relocated to the United States to be with their mother, his ex-wife, who has since re-married.

Jamaica Defence Force Corporal Dwight Stephens and his wife Stacey Ann were each offered $600,000.00 bail when they appeared in the St Catherine Parish Court. As a condition of bail, they are both required to report to the police daily and to surrender their travel documents.

They are also banned from all ports of entry and exit.

They were ordered to return to court on July 26.

The police reported that on May 11, 2018 they arrested the couple during operations in Greater Portmore, St. Catherine where over 600 pounds of ganja, cash totalling $265,000, a licensed firearm along with ammunition, and two motor cars were also seized.

The couple was subsequently charged with possession of ganja, dealing in ganja, taking steps to export ganja, using premises for drugs, conspiracy, and possession of criminal property.

In applying for bail, their lawyer Peter Champagnie alluded to the fact one of the accused, upon being formally interviewed by the police, told them that where the ganja was found in the house was occupied by a helper and her common husband.

Champagnie also submitted that soldier was suffering from a medical condition and so too does a child of the couple.

It is the Asian tiger mosquito or aedes albopictus which is similar to the aedes aegypti mosquito which is endemic to Jamaica and which transmits the dengue, Chikungunya, Zika and other viruses.

Acting Chief Public Health Inspector for St Catherine, Grayston Hutchinson told last Thursday's monthly meeting of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation that the Asia tiger mosquito was discovered following surveillance throughout the island.

He was responding to questions from councillors attending the monthly meeting.

The tiger mosquito is so named because of its striped appearance, which resembles that of the tiger.

Similar to the aedes aegypti mosquito, the female is the carrier of several viruses, including yellow fever, dengue, Chikungunya and Zika.

A Portland couple was killed in a motor vehicle crash along the Iteboreale main road in St Mary on Wednesday, May 16. They were heading back to Portland after reportedly dropping off their son at the airport.

They have since been identified as 61-year-old Adrian Peters, a senior survey technician of East Harbour Road in Port Antonio and 54-year-old Carol-Mae Adams of Anchovy Land Settlement, also in the parish.

It's reported that about 3:30 the two were travelling in a Toyota Corolla motor car towards Portland when a truck, travelling in the opposite direction, allegedly overtook a car.

It's further reported that Peters, who was driving the Corolla, swerved from the path of the truck to avoid a colliaion and lost control of the vehicle.

The car crashed into a wall and the two were pinned down inside the vehicle.

Bystanders rushed to assist Peters and Adams, using hammers and other tools to access the vehicle in an attempt to remove them from the wreckage.

The police were eventually called in to assist and the two were rushed to hospital where they died while being treated.

Several amendments are being proposed to the Rent Restriction Act, which are expected to address current challenges in the rental industry and make it more equitable for landlords and tenants.

Senior director in the housing policy, research and monitoring branch of the ministry of economic growth and job creation, paula parkes, says the challenges which exist in the industry relate mostly to standardisation of security deposits, timely recovery of possessions and breach of tenant and landlord covenants.

Ms Parkes says among the changes being proposed is an amendment to the name of the act to 'the Rent Act'. She said the word 'restriction' will be removed to make it clear that the act covers the entirety of the rental industry.

Reggae artiste Capleton has used social media to thank his fans and colleagues for their support, as he faces a charge of rape. In the post he reminded that he has never been accused of putting his hand on any woman in an abusive way and stated that he has nothing but respect for women.

The entertainer declared his innocence, even as his lawyer has been fuming about the botched investigations by the police, which led to the rape charge.

The lawyer has stated publicly that he told the police that he has evidence - voice notes and whats app messages - that would prove his client's innocent, but the police reportedly told hiim to present the evidence in court.

Interestingly, the very same day that the woman had reported to the police that she had been raped by Capleton, the entertainer had also made a formal report to the police that the same woman was trying to extort money from him.

The philanthropist, who stages and annual charity show, 'A St Mary Mi Come From', is known for his enormous kindness and his willingness to help the less fortunate.

Capleton has an undying passion for his birth parish, St Mary, and while most of the proceeds from the annual event go towards projects in the parish, adjoining parishes have been known to benefit from the staging of 'A St. Mary Mi Come From'.

As the entertainer who's affectionately known as King Shango is even now fighting a charge of rape, Yardflex spoke to an associate of Capleton, who had some rather revealing information.

According to the source, Capleton would never wash his locks at a hotel, and furthermore, the source added that the only woman allowed to touch the Rastafarian's locks is his cousin.

"Is Capleton cousin alone wash him locks. When she wash it, we haffi sprad leaves inder the tree because the Fireman locks way down pass him back almst a touch ground. So after she finish wash it him haffi stay under the tree and let it out so that it can dry. Which hotel? Dem man deh nah go a no hotel go wah locks...and Capleton nuh groom him locks either," the associate explained.

The woman who has accused the artiste of rape is said to be a hairdresser, but that claim was also refuted.

"She is no hairdresser. Is somebody that all of we know; she have a wholesale and we buy goods from her all the while," the source revealed to Yardflex.

It was also stated that the woman did in fact visit Capleton at the New Kingston hotel where he stays quite frequently and further that woman knew that she was going there for a sexual tryst.

"She all get her taxi fare when she leave...but afterwards she begin fi try use her head fi get more money. She say she did sick and inna hospital and we find out say a lie. Then she start fi call call up King Shango fi money and bare things. So after the Fireman block her and decide fi report the matter to the police, a so she start spin her story," the source confided to Yardflex.

United States President Trump portrayed some immigrants crossing into the country illegally as "animals" while speaking Wednesday at a White House event targeting California's sanctuary city policies.

"We have people coming into the country, who are trying to come in, and we're stopping a lot of them, but we're taking people out of the country, you wouldn't believe how bad these people are," Trump said in reference to alleged gang members. "These aren't people. These are animals."

That broad-brush assertion itself is jarring, but not uncommon for Trump. In fact, it's just the latest instance in which Trump has sought to dehumanize those he considers undesirable. After a man angry over losing his job opened fire on a former office rival on Aug. 24, 2012, on the sidewalk outside the Empire State Building, Trump wasted little time rendering his judgment.

"Terrible tragedy at the Empire State Building today. We must have fast trials and death penalty for the animals," Trump tweeted. The gunman, however, was killed by police at the scene.

In fact, Trump often uses the word "animal" when advocating for swift capital punishment of those accused of crimes, as was the case with an Oklahoma man suspected in the murder of a female co-worker in September 2014. Alton Nolen, 33, was found guilty of the crime three years later and was sentenced to death.

In a May 11, 2015, tweet, Trump demanded to know why there weren't protests "in favor of the two young police officers gunned down in Mississippi by two deranged animals" at a traffic stop. He demanded the death penalty for the four suspects, one of whom, the suspected shooter, was later found dead in his cell while awaiting trail. The other suspects are now serving prison time for lesser charges.

In the first debate of 2016 Republican presidential primaries, moderator Megyn Kelly asked Trump about using the term "disgusting animal" to describe women, which gave the candidate the opportunity for a memorable retort.

In effect, that response epitomizes Trump's threshold for calling others an "animal": The word applies when he says so.

After he was elected president, Trump delivered a speech to Long Island law enforcement officers in which he extolled the virtues of violent policing when dealing with MS-13 gang members.

"I was reading one of these animals was caught explaining they like to knife them and cut them and let them die slowly because that way it's more painful. And they enjoy watching that much more," Trump said.

At a July campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, Trump returned to his portrayal of undocumented immigrants as "animals."

"And you've seen the stories about some of these animals. They don't want to use guns, because it's too fast and not painful enough," Trump said, adding, "And these are the animals we've been protecting for so long. Well they're not being protected anymore, folks."

Following reports that the Syrian government had again used chemical weapons on its own people, Trump turned on Bashar Assad, giving him a new nickname.

Trump's sweeping judgment has long been incredibly swift for a man in his position. Of course, that's a quality his supporters often cite as distinguishing him from normal politicians. But it's also easy to find examples of when that impulse has been shown to be faulty.

When five black and Latino teenagers were accused of raping a white woman in Central Park in 1989, Trump took out full page ads in the city's daily newspapers demanding that the death penalty be reinstalled to deal with the suspects.

"I no longer want to understand their anger. I want them to understand our anger. I want them to be afraid," Trump wrote of the accused. "How can our great society tolerate the continued brutalization of its citizens by crazed misfits?"

Fourteen years after their conviction, DNA evidence exonerated the young men and they were released from prison. To this day, Trump has never apologized to the men known as the Central Park Five.

Crime Stop was first on the scene to premiere the most anticipated movie of the season, Avengers: Infinity War. The non-governmental organisation staged the private screening at the Carib 5 theatre recently as part of their annual fundraiser towards their rewards fund.

There are now more details available on the timeline for implementation of the ban on single-use plastic bags and styrofoam boxes in the local retail trade.

Government Senator Matthew Samuda is anticipating that within the next three months there should be significant developments. The upcoming ban was announced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday by Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Daryl Vaz. He explained that the widely popular plastic bags will soon be banned and Jamaicans will need to get reusable bags when they go shopping. In addition, regulations will be put in place for garbage bags including allowable sizes and types.

Vaz gave no timeline, but Mr Samuda has given a rundown of the activities that are taking take place and their estimated time of completion. He states that there was lengthy consultation with several groups up to two weeks ago and based on these discussions, the timelines are clearer.

A 40-year-old man who works with the National Commercial Bank and his school teacher wife are in police custody charged with fraud and illegal possession of ammunition. Ronald McLaren and his wife, 47 year Shernett McLaren, were charged on the weekend by detectives of the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC).

They have been charged jointly with illegal possession of 50 rounds of ammunition. Mr. McLaren has also been charged with conspiracy to defraud and possession of identity information of NCB customers.

C-TOC detectives raided the couple's St. Andrew residence on Friday as part of a probe into the scamming of debit and credit card holders of the bank. Investigators alleged that Mr. McLaren is one of the persons leaking information on customers to scammers.

A policeman who was ordered released before the St. Catherine Parish Court last Tuesday has again been arrested and charged with murder. Detective Constable Shawn Pennington was arrested on Wednesday by the Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) and charged with the murder of Rishawn Oliver.

This follows a probe by the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) and a ruling by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. In a news release Wednesday afternoon, INDECOM said Mr. Pennington was taken before Parish Judge Evan Brown in the St. Catherine Home Circuit Court.

He was offered $800,000 bail with sureties. The matter was adjourned for mention on October 25.

However, the case was dismissed by the Parish Court judge last Tuesday when it was ruled that INDECOM did not have the jurisdiction to bring charges against the officer.

Press freedom advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has written to Dr Andrew Wheatley, the Chairman of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament currently examining the Data Protection Bill, to express concerns about the chilling effect which the proposed legislation could have on journalism.

RSF, which produces the annual World Press Freedom Index, is suggesting that the Parliament amend the Bill to include a blanket exemption for journalists.

The group's suggestion echoes similar proposals made by the Press Association of Jamaica and the Media Association of Jamaica.

RSF says it does not believe that the Bill makes a sufficient distinction between gathering "data" for journalistic activities and gathering data for regular commercial purposes and says the Bill's negative impact on journalism could outweigh the advantages the legislation is supposed to provide.

The organisation says it acknowledges the existing exemptions for journalism in the Bill as drafted, RSF Executive Director for North American Margaux Ewen says a clear blanket exemption for journalists should be provided instead of a handful of provisions.

RSF notes that without a blanket exemption, the proposed legislation is potentially threatening for journalists and media outlets.

"It says it aims to protect "sensitive personal data," including "political opinions, philosophical beliefs, religious beliefs or other beliefs of a similar nature," all of which are examples of subjects journalists focus their reporting on. How can journalists report on matters of public interest and hold those in power accountable under such a law?" asks Ewan.

Specific provisions of the Bill about which RSF is raising concern include the power given to the Information Commissioner to enforce, exempt, and penalise data controllers, which would include journalists.

State agency representatives and residents of the Clarendon community of Treadlight were sent scampering Wednesday morning as shots rang out adjacent to a property they were preparing to facilitate birth registration activities.

The event was to be hosted in the community square.

It is reported that about 9.30 a.m, a car drove up and two gunmen got out firing several shots at a man next door.

The target fell after he was hit and it is reported that the gunmen then went over him firing several more shots.

The Health Ministry is rejecting claims being circulated on social media of yellow fever in Jamaica.

Yellow fever is an acute illness caused by the yellow fever virus, which is found in the tropics of South America and Africa.

The virus is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes, such as the aedes aegypti, the same vector that transmits the chikungunya, dengue and zika viruses.

In the meantime, the ministry says it continues to heighten its mosquito control activities island-wide.

Yellow Fever is a Class 1 notifiable disease, which means it is to be reported to the Ministry of Health within 24 hours on suspicion by a healthcare professional.

To prevent the importation of the yellow fever virus into Jamaica where the disease does not occur, but where the mosquito vector and human hosts are present, vaccination against yellow fever is required for Jamaicans travelling overseas to destinations that are reported by the World Health Organisation as countries at risk for yellow fever transmission.

The police have revealed that the shipment of 19 guns intercepted at the Kingston Container Terminal on November 17 last year was destined for the Westmoreland-based Dexter Street Gang.

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey, that's when the gang landed on the police's radar.

The weapons and nearly 4,000 assorted rounds of ammunition were found in two freezers at the port.

Bailey, the head of the Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Division Branch (C-TOC), provided the update at a press conference this morning while revealing that another four members of the gang have been arrested, pushing to 17 the number of alleged members of the criminal network now behind bars.

However, Bailey said the man believed to be the leader of the gang and it's main financier, Shadane Patrick Robinson, also known as Gorgan, remains on the run.

According to the C-TOC boss, Robinson was charged with murder and granted bail and is believed to have fled the island for the United States.

He said investigators believe that two other members of the gang who are wanted by the police -- Oshane Rankine, also called Shabba, and Juwayne Barnes, alias Spent Shell -- have also fled to the US.

The alleged gangsters - 13 males and four females - have been charged under the so-called anti-gang legislation and are scheduled to appear before the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston shortly.

The gangsters have allegedly been linked to nearly 40 murders in western Jamaica in the past 17 months and Bailey said their arrests have since "significantly disrupted" criminal activities.

The gang is responsible for or linked to over 17 murders and 27 shooting incidents in 2017 and since the beginning of the year, 22 murders and several shootings have also been linked to this gang.

The gangsters were arrested between last week Tuesday and Saturday during a series of operations by the security forces.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31.

The character of the food and the manner in which it is eaten exert a powerful influence on the health. Many ... have never made a determined effort to control the appetite, or to observe proper rules in regard to eating. Some eat too much at their meals, and some eat between meals whenever the temptation is presented.

The need of carefulness in habits of diet should be impressed on the minds of all.... I appeal to all to refuse to eat those things that will injure the health. Thus they can serve the Lord by sacrifice.

Those who obey the laws of health will give time and thought to the needs of the body and to the laws of digestion. And they will be rewarded by clearness of thought and strength of mind. On the other hand it is possible for one to spoil his Christian experience by abuse of the stomach. Those things that derange the digestion have a benumbing influence on the finer feelings of the heart.... Every habit that injures the health reacts upon the mind. That time is well spent which is directed to the establishment and preservation of sound physical and mental health. Firm, quiet nerves and a healthy circulation help men to follow right principles and to listen to the promptings of conscience....

The brain is the citadel of the being. Wrong physical habits affect the brain, and prevent the attainment of ... good mental discipline. Unless the youth are versed in the science of how to care for the body as well as for the mind, they will not be successful students. Study is not the principal cause of breakdown of the mental powers. The main cause is improper diet, irregular meals, a lack of physical exercise, and careless inattention in other respects to the laws of health. When we do all that we can to preserve the health, then we can ask God in faith to bless our efforts....

The youth should be taught that they are not at liberty to do as they please with their lives. God will not hold guiltless those who treat lightly His precious gifts. Men should realize that the greater their endowment of strength, of talent, of means, or of opportunities, the more heavily should the burden of God's work rest upon them, and the more they should do for Him. The youth who are trained to believe that life is a sacred trust will hesitate to plunge into the vortex of dissipation and crime that swallows up so many promising young men of this age.--Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 297-300.

Mental and moral power is dependent upon the physical health.--Mind, Character, and Personality 1:61.

The Guyana Prison Service (GPS) Monday said it has joined the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in launching an investigation into how inmates at a prison were able to acquire large bottles of liquor and engage in a party on Mothers' Day on Sunday.

Images on social media showed the inmates, including one who is on remand on a murder charge, at the New Amsterdam Prison posing with the drinks and smoking what appeared to be marijuana cigarettes.

"There is no direct evidence pointing to any prison officer who would have facilitated the movement of the contraband into the prison. The prisoner would have identified a civilian who brought it," GPS Director, Gladwin Samuels, told the online publication Demerarawaves.

He said a playback of video surveillance recordings showed that a tractor was searched and nothing was found.

The publication said pictures of the prisoners holding and consuming what appeared to be bottles of liquor were posted on the Facebook page of remanded murder accused, Abdul Andre Azimullah.

"Sanctions will be taken against those persons who are found culpable," Samuels said.

The latest incident comes less than two weeks after Samuels had complained about the ongoing problem of smuggling of prohibited items into prisons.

He warned prison wardens about being part of the smuggling efforts and reminded them of the action that could be taken once they are found in the act.

Rihanna, queen of pop, makeup, lingerie, and Catholicism-inspired fashion, pops up pretty much wherever the latest action is. One place she won't be, however, is the royal wedding--which, as you might of heard, is happening this coming Saturday, May 19.

The invite list to the royal wedding is kept to an intimate 600 people, not including the 2,640 normals (such as myself, in a better world) who will be spectacle-ing on the grounds of Windsor Castle. That's fine and all, but when you're an institution as extensive as the British monarchy and surrounding aristocracy, those seats get filled up pretty quickly.

Apparently, Rihanna is clued into this, and, humbly, didn't really think she'd be invited. Sure, Rihanna and Prince Harry might have met in 2016 at a Barbados National HIV/AIDS Commission event, but Rihanna didn't think that alone warranted an invite to the royal wedding.

Following last week's arrest and charge of real estate attorney Jennifer Messado for alleged fraud, the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) has charged a second accused in the case. Real estate broker Beverly Barakat was charged on Monday. She was arrested Sunday by C-TOC investigators. Mrs Barakat has been charged with conspiracy to defraud, forgery and operating a real estate brokerage firm without a licence.

It is alleged that she conspired with Mrs Messado in the illegal transfer of a property.

Both women are scheduled to appear before the St. Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday.

Mrs Messado was arrested and charged on Friday by C-TOC detectives. The attorney has been charged with uttering forged documents, forgery, conspiracy to defraud, causing money to be paid out by forged document, and money laundering. Investigators reported that on December 20 last year, Mrs Messado prepared an Agreement of Sale for two parcels of land without the knowledge and consent of the owner.

They alleged that she collected US$270,000 as down payment from the prospective purchaser.

The properties were put to sale for $232 million.

C-TOC is expected to lay additional charges against Mrs Messado in relation to another property.

A senior investigator said she is being investigated in connection with other real estate transactions.

Reports of a newly-graduated police constable being placed under probe only one day after he reportedly graduated from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) training school have sent social media in overdrive. The new graduate, who was supposed to officially take up his position on the nation's streets as a full-fledge member of the force, is now under investigation in connection with the theft of a laptop.

Reports are that on Saturday, May 12, a software developer of a Kingston 8 address visited the Central CIB office in Kingston and requested the assistance of the police to recover his laptop. He reported that the item had been stolen from his car on Friday while it was parked on the compound of Sovereign Shopping Centre in St Andrew, and that he had reported the matter at the Matilda's Corner Police Station, which covers the area where the laptop was lost.

Police were told that the technician had managed to track his laptop to 96 Orange Street in down Kingston, hence his visit to the Central Police Station. Acting on the information, reports are that a team of officers accompanied the complainant to the location, and during a search, the laptop was recovered at a premises that was being operated as a shop.

The shop owner, when questioned, told the police that the laptop had been left there by a friend who would be returning soon to have it fixed. Shortly after, the person who the shop owner spoke about turned up at the establishment.The individual was held and questioned, and later identified himself as a young police constable who had graduated a day before.

Reports are that the new JCF member was asked where he got the laptop from, and he reportedly indicated that a man known to him as 'Country' of a Waterhouse, Kingston 11 address, gave it to him just hours before he was held. The investigators, acting on the information provided by the police constable, ended up apprehending a man in Seven Miles, Bull Bay, St Andrew.The man was questioned but minutes into the session, he reportedly changed his story and denied knowing the name 'Country', and refuted the claims that the new police constable had made against him regarding the laptop.

However, after further questioning, the man reportedly indicated that he did know the police constable for several years. The man reportedly told the investigators that he was contacted by the police constable before the police team arrived where he was, and told to take the blame for the stolen laptop, and to also tell the police that he was known as 'Country'.

The man reportedly told the investigators that the police constable had told him to tell the detectives that he found the laptop in a garbage bin. The man claimed that he agreed when the police constable made the request, but later changed his story when he found out the seriousness of the matter, and made the decision to speak the 'truth'.

Reports are that statements have since been recorded from all the parties and a formal probe has been launched into the matter.

Capleton's lawyer Christopher Townsend says a dual investigation is taking place. According to Townsend, the lady who accused the 51-year-old dancehall deejay of rape is also being investigated for extortion. He said he anticipates the lady will also be taken into custody shortly.

On Friday, detectives assigned to the Center for Investigation Sexual Offense and Child Abuse, CISOCA, arrested and charged Capleton for rape.

According to Corporate Communications Unity CCU, reports are that on Saturday, April 28, at about 11:20 am, Capleton allegedly hired a female hairdresser to groom his hair at a hotel in New Kingston. The report further states that while at the hotel the dancehall deejay allegedly forcibly had sexual intercourse with her.

The matter was reported to the police and an investigation launched. Capleton was subsequently charged after a question and answer interview was conducted in the presence of his attorney.

Capleton is to appear in the St. Andrew Parish Court on Monday, May 14.

Tourism Minister, Ed Bartlett is participating in the 9th Asian Leadership Conference (ALC) and the PATA Annual Summit in South Korea. While there, the Minister is expected to participate in a series of panel discussions on the state of the tourism industry globally. He will also use the opportunity to garner support for the Global Resilience and Crisis Management Centre and Observatory, which will be housed at the University of West Indies, Mona.

The Minister's first engagement in South Korea is the 9th Asian Leadership Conference (ALC), where he will speak about: Tourism and Sustainable Development and Globalization and Cooperation in Asia Pacific, at two of the sessions on May 16. The invitation was extended by Sang-Hoon Bang, President and CEO of the Chosunilbo, the largest newspaper in South Korea and hosts of the ALC.

In the letter of invitation, Mr Bang noted that the Minister was invited because of the significant contributions he has made to the global tourism industry as the world's leading Tourism Minister.

"You have played a major role in economic growth and the transformation of communities by constructing tourism infrastructure. Under your leadership, you initiated the Tourism Linkages Network which seeks to develop connections between the tourism sector and other productive sectors of the economy," said Mr Bang.

Since its inauguration in 2005, the ALC has become the most prestigious gathering of global leaders in Asia. Speakers in the past have included former Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon; former President of the United States, President Barack Obama and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron.

The Minister will then travel to Gangneung to participate in the PATA Annual Summit (PAS). He will participate as a panellist at the United Nations World Tourism Organization/PATA Leaders Debate on Saturday, May 19.

Minister Bartlett will share his insights on the current challenges being faced by the travel and tourism industry. He will also use the opportunity to discuss airlift issues and will speak on the Global Centre for Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management as well as meet with representatives from Samsung to discuss possibilities for partnership.

Minister Bartlett will be accompanied by Dr. Lloyd Waller, Senior Advisor/Consultant and Ms. Anna-Kay Newell, Executive Assistant to the Minister. The team is expected to return to the island on May 21.

The police say they are closely watching sections of Portmore following reports that there are a number of drug networks being operated in some sections of the huge overall community.

The police said over the last few days they have carried out a series of raids in a number hotspot areas that they are monitoring, and these activities have resulted in at least two major ganja busts.

The most recent incident involved a soldier and his wife, who were allegedly found at a premises with over 600 pounds of the weed, for which they have been charged.

Days before that find, a St Catherine man identified as Cavon Duncan, was held at the Norman Manley International Airport, allegedly trying to leave the island with over 18 pounds of ganja.

The police said he was arrested, and that development led to something more.

Following the arrest at the airport, the police carried out an investigation that led to another man - Ricardo Blake - who is believed to be a major link to an underground drug operation in Portmore.

Duncan and Blake are now facing charges of possession of ganja, dealing in ganja, taking preparatory steps to export ganja, and conspiracy.

In respect of further details, the narcotics police said about 2:30 p.m., Duncan checked in at the Norman Manley International Airport to board a flight to Panama.

During security screening by port security officers, abnormalities were reportedly observed in his suitcase, and police narcotics personnel were contacted.

The detectives subsequently searched the suitcase in his presence, and allegedly found 10 packages wrapped in foil paper and brown masking tape, each containing the illicit drug.

Duncan was taken into custody while detectives continued to investigate.

The police said a follow-up operation at a premises in Portmore, St Catherine resulted in Blake being arrested in connection with the airport seizure.

The two men have since been booked to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court next Wednesday on the ganja-related charges.

The police monitoring sections of Portmore said they do not believe the cases involving the soldier and his wife, and the two other men, were linked, but they were not ruling out the possibility and would be keeping a close tab on the areas under focus.

Investigators from the Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) charged attorney-at- law Jennifer Messado on Friday, May 11.

She has been charged with four counts of forgery, two counts of uttering Forged documents, Conspiracy to Defraud, Causing money to be paid out by forged documents and Money Laundering.

According to investigators on December 20, 2017, the accused prepared an Agreement of Sales for two parcel of land without the knowledge and consent of the owner. It is alleged that Messado forged the signature of the trustee, stamp and letter head of the owner of the properties to facilitate the fictitious transaction and collected 270, 000 USD as down payment for the prospective purchaser.

These properties were put to sale for 232 million JMD or 1.8 million USD dollars.

Capleton's attorney Christopher Townsend says he is confident that the deejay will be exonerated. Townsend says the artiste made a report to a constable on May 2 that a woman had been attempting to extort money from him after a sexual encounter days earlier.

Allegations are that after the sexual encounter, the woman allegedly complained that she had a cyst on her ovary and had been admitted to the hospital for treatment, and according to Capleton's management team, that was a lie.

His rep claimed that the alleged victim then sent one of her daughters, a 19-year-old, to pick up snacks from the deejay, but the demands did not subside.

Capleton reportedly refused to co-operate once the woman demanded a large sum of money to allow her to be a part of a 'round-robin'.

The rep added that police, both at the Half-Way Tree CIB and officials from CISOCA, are in possession of text messages and conversations relating to the matter.

Reports from the police are that on Saturday, April 28 at about 11:20 a.m., the "Jah Jah City" singer whose real name is Clifton Bailey, reportedly hired a female hairdresser to groom his hair at a hotel in the New Kingston area. While at the hotel, it is reported that he forcibly had sexual intercourse with the female.

The matter was reported to the police and an investigation launched. Bailey was subsequently charged after a question and answer interview was conducted in the presence of his attorney.

He is to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Monday, May 14.

Christopher Townsend, the lawyer retained by Capleton to represent him in a charge of rape, crying foul over the backward level of the investigation being carried out by the police. Townsend is accusing the cops of rushing to charge the internationally-renowned recording artiste without doing a thorough investigation.

Capleton, 51, is still in police custody after being arrested Friday and charged with rape by detectives at the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA).

The police say the complainant, a hairdresser, reported that he had sexual intercourse with her against her will inside a New Kingston hotel room where she had done to groom his hair on April 28.

But the entertainer's attorney, says he has whatsapp messages and voice notes of the woman "demanding that certain things be done."

Townsend said he offered to turn them over to police investigators who rejected them and advised the entertainer that he could use them for his defence at trial.

"It is their signature behaviour. They have an extremely backward approach towards investigations," he charged.

Townsend said when the woman became aware of the police investigation "she went ahead with her threat" and went to the police.

The police said the woman filed a report on May 2 and acknowledged that Capleton made a report to the Half Way Tree police that same day alleging that he was being extorted by the complainant.

Foota Hype and Tony Matterhorn have come out swinging against members of the Dancehall fraternity following the death of Chromatic Sound co-founder, Niko Chromatic.

They have dashed out criticism against Niko Chromatic's so-called friends in the industry for not doing more to help save his life. In a video rant posted on social media, the two veteran disc jockeys stop short of calling Popcaan by name however it was pretty clear they were talking about the 'Unruly Boss'.

Popular producer, NotNice also posted a message on Instagram blasting industry members who have been posting "rest in peace" on social media.

"Nuff a unu p***yhole a post bout miss u,sip,rip niko and when d yute did sick not even as much as a word a prayer unu neva give but now unu run gone dig up unu best pic wid d yute fi post, mi hate unu. From Gaza days memba a u gi vybz kartel the name worldboss dem deeven know that. One thing u Eva beg mi fi do and a fi voice yu on a riddim and mi promise yu seh mi a guh do it now not even that mi cyan do again 😢#jahkno," he wrote.

However despite the criticism Popcaan took to social media on Wednesday to share a heartfelt post, "We lost a real family yesterday but God knows best, you make us all proud while you was with us we will continue the dream that we all believe in from chromatic, unruly, chromatic one team one dream my scheme," he wrote.

There was indeed a lot of bawling out during Dovey Magnum's performance of her hot single, Bawl Out recently, as the Real G, in a moment of intense passions, accidentally pulled off her wig, exposing her corn rows.

The rising dancehall deejay is seen in a video making the rounds on social media, performing on stage and female patrons singing along to her popular track "Bawl Out."

While locked in the 6:20 position, singing, and gyrating her waistline, a small framed man was behind her having the time of his life. In an attempt to climb further, the man's slender fingers got tangled in her Rapunzel-like orange hair during the antics.

With one tug, the wig was pulled from her head exposing her basic cornrows.

While the crowd erupted in laughter, Dovey Magnum then walked to one corner of the stage and returned with her microphone still in hand she said, "pull up dat."

Motorists found operating their motor vehicle without a drivers' licence will not be given the two-day grace period as was proposed by Opposition Senators last week Friday.

They will not even be given the one-day grace period that was the compromise offered Friday morning by Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, Donna Scott-Mottley when the Upper House resumed its debate on the long-delayed Road Traffic Act.

However, Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Kamina Johnson Smith said the proposed fine for the breach has been reduced from $10,000 to $2,000. She argued that the Government did not see the proposed 48-hour grace period "as a useful and flexible way to get behavioural change. We believe that that is in fact the problem that the police struggle with now," said Johnson Smith while pointing out that the current Act allows motorists two days to present their drivers' licence to the police.

The Narcotics Police are now making arrangements for a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier and his wife to be interviewed in the presence of their attorney, Peter Champagnie, following their arrest in connection with the seizure of over 600 pounds of ganja, along with cash and other items, in Greater Portmore, St Catherine on Friday, May 11.

Reports are that between 12:15 a.m. and 4:15 a.m., narcotics detectives and officers from the St Catherine South Police Division conducted an operation at a premises in Greater Portmore, during which both compressed and loose ganja were reportedly found.

The ganja weighed a total of 651.8 pounds.

Cash totalling $265,000, along with a licensed firearm with ammunition and two motorcars were also seized.

Romario Brown, a tattoo artiste of a Stony Hill, St Andrew address, who is the accused in Dexter Pottinger's murder, was denied bail when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish court on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old's case was also transferred to the Committal Court and a June 15 mention date was set.

Pottinger's decomposing body was discovered with multiple stab wounds at his Yarico Place home in Kingston 20, Jamaica last year August.

Shortly after, Brown was arrested and charged when he reportedly confessed to killing Pottinger.

The popular fashion designer/stylist had reportedly bailed Brown on August 29, the same day he was reportedly killed by the accused at his home.

'It is what largely shapes our attraction - not only visual impression - and results in genuine sexual pleasure between men and women,' he said

Rooms at the 'legal brothel' cost between £17.75 and £29.50 per hour - not including the sex doll.

Founder of the hotel, Dmitry Alexandrov said that 36 per cent of Russians are unhappy with their sex lives.

'Creating a full scale leisure adult centre in Russia is not only a legal and safe way to improve your sex life, it is also a step towards fighting one of oldest problems in Russia - the violent exploitation of women,' he said, referring to prostitution.

'It is also a great help to people with psychiatric disorders.

'In Spain, for example, 30 per cent of clients are people with mental or physiological problems.'

After each client, the dolls are thoroughly disinfected with 'special solutions' according to 'international standards', he said.

This guarantees there will be no risk of infection, he claimed.

'Some men simply cannot improve their sexual relations with women on their own, which leads to latent dissatisfaction, which, in turn, can evolve into aggression,' he said.

'This issue can only be solved by a professional 'call girl,' who is ready to hear him out and make his sexual fantasies come true for money.'

Police in North Carolina are under fire after a video emerged of an officer choking and slamming an African-American man.

In a video posted to Facebook, an officer in a tactical vest can be seen pushing a young African-American man in formal attire against a wall, choking him and then hurling him on the ground in front of a Waffle House.

"Get your hands off me", the man repeatedly shouts.

The town of Warsaw, North Carolina's chief of police told the Raleigh News & Observer that his department was investigating the incident, as was district attorney Ernie Lee.

"We are currently investigating the whole incident, interviewing witnesses and gathering additional video", police chief Eric Southerland said in a statement.

Anthony Wall had taken his 16-year-old sister out for food after she attended prom and got into an argument with Waffle House employees, the 22-year-old Mr Wall told ABC11. When the police arrived, he said, things turned violent.

"I was pretty much trying to scream for air and trying to breathe because he was holding my throat and that's when I got aggressive with him because you are choking me", Mr Wall said.

He was charged with resisting arrest and with disorderly conduct relating to his altercation with the restaurant staff.

Australian Reggae and Dancehall producer Jake Savona's latest project brings the unique flavor of two Caribbean countries together. Havana Meets Kingston is a compilation project that focuses on bringing the "best of both worlds" through the music cultures of, Cuba and Jamaica, something that has never been done before.

Savona (aka Mista Savona) saw an opportunity to marry both islands' outstanding music styles by bringing a host of legendary and influential artistes together in one place to produce tracks in Spanish, English and Jamaican patois. The project features over 50 Cuban, Jamaican and International artistes such as Gaston Joya, Brenda Navarette, Julito Padron, Beatriz Marquez, Leroy Sibbles, Lutan Fyah, Randy Valentine, Micah Shemiah, Cali P and Glasford 'Porti' Manning & The Jewels. The main goal was to "bring Jamaican sound system and bass culture together with Cuba's electrifying and virtuosic Afro-Cuban and jazz traditions" and the end product was phenomenal.

The combination of Jamaican roots reggae, dub and dancehall with Cuban salsa, rumba and Afro-Cuban sounds has created a collaboration that, according to one of the contributors involved, is both fun and fresh. The dynamic duo Sly & Robbie, Bongo Hermon and Bo Peep have all contributed their music styles to this project and visited Cuba in order to record with musicians there.

Talking on the project Sly said "It was a great experience working on this musical venture; I got to work with some very talented people from here in Jamaica and in Cuba. This offering is something very new and at the same time deeply rooted, cultured and bold."

The first single off the album is Carnival which features British-Jamaican singer Randy Valentine and Cuban singer Solis.

Distributed by VPal Music, the album was released in in two parts - the first in November 2017 and the second in March 2018. Following its release, many of the musicians came together and embarked on a 3 week tour in Australia and New Zealand.

Upcoming promotional plans include an album launch to be done later on in Jamaica. A documentary capturing various aspects of the project's development in both Jamaica and Cuba has also been created, with contributions from filmmaker Rick Mereki, producer Lauren Rosa Beck and photographer Lara Merrington.

While Kartel's lawyer, Tom Tavares Finson could not confirm if Kartel had been transferred to St Catherine District prison he however pointed to Kartel's upcoming appeal on July 7th and expressed optimism about the deejay's chanced to have the conviction quashed.

"I believe that we have an excellent chance to overturn the conviction, we shall see on July 7th," he said.

Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, along with three co-accused, including Kahiro Jones, were convicted of the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams.

They are all now serving life sentences as a result of the conviction.

Jailed businessman Huey Gowdie has failed in his bid to have Jamaica's second-highest court throw out his conviction and 10-year prison sentence for shooting well-known businessman Shango Jackson to death in the upscale St Andrew community of Beverly Hills.

The Court of Appeal, in its decision handed down last Friday, rejected legal arguments by Gowdie's attorneys that aspects of his 2016 murder trial were unfair and that the sentence was "manifestly excessive".

"The application for leave to appeal against conviction and sentence is refused," the panel of three judges ruled.

"In all the circumstances, the sentence cannot be regarded as manifestly excessive and there is no basis for this court to interfere with the sentence imposed," the added.

Gowdie was found guilty of manslaughter in the Home Circuit Court in May 2016, four years after he shot Jackson three times during a dispute at the Shenstone Drive premises they shared in July 2012.

Nearly two months after his conviction, Gowdie was sentenced to 10 years in prison at hard labour by Justice Evon Brown, who presided over the trial.

At the time of the killing, Gowdie was involved in a romantic relationship with Jackson's ex-wife. The couple lived in a separate house at the same Shenstone Drive premises where Shango Jackson resided.

Yardflex has confirmed that popular sound system selector, Niko Chromatic, has died.

The selector's immediate family confirmed his passing, but up to press time neither them nor his Chromatic family had made an official statement.

It is being reported that the Chromatic selector passed away on Tuesday following a long battle with kidney disease.

Niko Chromatic, whose real name is Nicholas Grant, was diagnosed with renal failure in 2015 and over the past two years, his health has been on a steady decline.

Last year a Gofundme account was created to raise funds for the dancehall disc jockey to get life-saving treatment for his illness overseas. There was also a special event held November last year to raise funds to send him overseas for treatment. Many showed their support, but the fund fell short of the target.

Several entertainers and fans donated to the Niko Chromatic Medical Fund.

Niko Chromatic is a co-founder of the famed Chromatic Sound System.

Several tributes have started to pour in for the much loved selector.

Friends and music insiders have been sending condolences via social media.

The security forces on Saturday recovered another firearm in St James, bringing to nine the number of illegal guns and over 300 rounds of assorted ammunition recovered in the parish over a 24-hour period.

Four AK-47 assault rifles were among the weapons taken out of the hands of hoodlums during the clampdown .

The guns were all found in the Ramble Hill area of the parish during sustained operations by members of the security forces. The team first found four M-16 rifles and over 150 assorted rounds on a premises in the area on Friday, police said.

Four bullet proof vests and magazines were also recovered. Then before the day was done, they found four handguns and over 100 rounds of ammunition in the same area.

The team returned to the area on Saturday where they again reaped success when they seized another handgun and several ammunition.

The police have released the identities of two gunmen who reported attempted to commit robberies and murders, and were subsequently killed during a shootout with law enforcers in Islington, St Mary on Friday night.

The men have been identified as 26-year-old Shavaughn Gordon of Smith Lane, Kingston, and 38-year-old Kadini Harrison, otherwise called 'Kaddi,' of Baccas Wood, Islington St Mary.

Two illegal guns were also reported seized during a search for the men after the exchange of gunfire.

According to the police's Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), "the Jamaica Constabulary Force's strategy to deal with the displacement of criminals resulted in the plans of four men (mainly) from Kingston, contracted to carry out killings and robberies in St Mary, being thwarted when they were intercepted on Sports Road in Islington."

Reports are that about 11:30 p.m., a team of officers was on patrol in the area when the driver of a Nissan Bluebird motorcar with the men aboard was signalled to stop.

The driver complied, but the men opened gunfire at the police from the vehicle.The attack was repelled and the men abandoned the car and ran. A search of the community was later conducted and two of the men were found dead with gunshot wounds.

A .357 Magnum handgun with six expended cartridge casings, and a Colt pistol with six .45 cartridges, along with a plastic glove with eleven .45 cartridges, were also reportedly found.

The JCF's communication arm indicated that head of the St Mary Police Division, Superintendent Bobette Morgan, has committed that the police will prevent criminals from escalating crime in the rural parish.

The victims in the plane crash have been identified following the discovery of the crash site in Georgia, Trelawny.

They have been identified as Rojorn Campbell, Carlon Snipe and 43-year- old Miguel Jones of Windward Road address in Kingston.

Reports are that about 4:30 p.m.,a Cessna 206 single engine aircraft domestic carrier departed the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James on Thursday, May 3, enroute to the Tinson Pen Aerodrome in Kingston with Campbell as the captain, and Snipe and Jones as passengers.

It was reported that contact was lost with the aircraft while it was in the airspace over Trelawny. A search was subsequently launched, and the aircraft was found destroyed in a densely wooded section of Georgia,Trelawny. The bodies of the three (3) passengers were seen in the area.

The search for a Cessna single engine aircraft which disappeared in Trelawny on Thursday ended on a tragic note when the wreckage of the plane along with the bodies of the two pilots and a mechanic were found in Trelawny shortly before 5 o'clock Friday afternoon.

The plane had departed Sangster International Airport in St. James for Tinson Pen Aerodrome in Kingston. It went off radar about 4:35 p.m. in Duncans, Trelawny.

Major Basil Jarrett, Civil Military Co-operation and Media Officer at the Jamaica Defence Force, gave the update.

Jamaican actress and filmmaker Donisha Prendergast, the granddaughter of reggae legend Bob Marley, was detained by the California police earlier this week three of her friends as they were leaving an AirBnB home to prepare for a socially conscious event they organised.

A neighbour reportedly called police on the group of friends - three of whom were said to be black - while witnessing them depart the premises with their luggage.

"There are four police officers here," said 33 year old Prendergast in a live video post in which she spoke to the apparent owner of the home via a phone call in front of the officers. "We watched your neighbour call the police."

The police demanded that the owner appear in person to verify the identity of Prendergast, who apparently was the one who booked the accommodation.

An officer told Prendergast that she was being detained along the street in order for the officers to investigate and to "cover all our bases".

Prendergast told the cop, "You are investigating but I have a lot of sh*t to do. I have an event to do".

An actress, filmmaker and advocate, Prendergast said she was in California to put on an event ironically titled 'We will Rise Together'. She alluded to racial discrimination as a factor behind the incident.

"So much things to say right now. I got surrounded by the police for being black in a white neighbourhood," Prendergast, the daughter of Sharon Marley, wrote on Instagram.

She added: "I am sad and irritated to see that fear is still the first place police officers go in their pursuit to serve and protect, to the point that protocol supersedes their ability to have discernment. Many have suffered and died in moments like these. That's crazy reality check. Give thanks for life and the ability to stand our ground. We are stronger together. Use your voice collectively."

The incident is the latest in the US to stir up passions about institutional racism and echoes of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Last month, two black men were arrested at Starbucks, and led away in handcuffs accused of trespassing, after the manager called police, saying the men refused to buy anything or leave.

Also in April, a black former White House staffer under Barack Obama, said a neighbor called cops on him while he was moving into his New York City apartment.

A member of the JDF died Wednesday night at a Guest House on Brunswick Avenue in Spanish Town.

Reports are that the 33-year-old married soldier was with an 18-year-old female, and they both went to a gaming lounge to have drinks.

Reports are that the soldier had a popular stout, and the female chose a beer. Other reports are that he had about 12 energy drinks and took a Viagra tablet. The soldier and the female left the bar and went to a room on the said premises, where they had sexual intercourse.

It is further reported that the soldier went to the bathroom immediately after having completed intercourse. The female reported that she then heard a loud stumbling and gave an alarm after running from the room. The soldier was found with blood running from his mouth,nose and genitals.

He was lying on his back in the bathtub.

Police who responded found the soldier lying naked in the bathtub.

The female companion reportedly stated that during intercourse he complaint of chest pains and went to the bathroom where he collapsed. It is speculated that the Red bull and Viagra speed up his heart rate to about 15 times the normal speed.

An associate professor of history responded Tuesday night to Kanye West's argument that black people had chosen to be slaves, providing some context about the brutality of the slave trade.

"When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice," the rapper had said earlier in the day during an appearance on TMZ Live.

Blair L. M. Kelley, who works at North Carolina State University and has taught numerous African-American studies courses, said she has heard "uninformed people" make similar claims.

"I've had young men in my courses say 'they never would have enslaved me,'" she tweeted.

Blair LM Kelley

✔

@profblmkelley

Haven't watched the whole Kanye event today, working my way up to it. I will say, that a milder version of the "slavery is a choice" argument is made by uninformed people all the time. I've had young men in my courses say "they never would have enslaved me."

So she decided to post a little history lesson.

"People aren't aware of the alienation of people ripped from their homes, abused, walked hundreds of miles across Africa, sometimes so far they ceased understanding the language spoken around them," she wrote.

✔

@profblmkelley

People aren't aware of the alienation of people ripped from their homes, abused, walked hundreds of miles across Africa, sometimes so far they ceased understanding the language spoken around them...

She then referred to the slave castles of Ghana, in which people were held in windowless dungeons, or "slave holes," before being loaded onto British ships and sold in the Americas during the 18th century. Former President Barack Obama compared them to Nazi concentration camps in Germany.

✔

@profblmkelley

People don't know the brutality of the slave castles were people were held on the coasts, branded still holding out hope for escape, or reconnection with loved one....

Kelley went on to describe the horrific conditions slaves faced, both while being transported across the ocean and after they left the ships.

✔

@profblmkelley

Could they have survived the devastation of the middle passage, packed less humanely than animals below the deck of the ship, chained to people who were sick and dying?

✔

@profblmkelley

Could they have survived being sold like a good at market by people in a foreign land speaking a foreign tongue? Could they have survived torturous work, in scraps of clothing eating the food that was unwanted?

She pointed out that survivors "managed to make a way to make a new culture, remake family and faith," even after enduring abuse for generations.

✔

@profblmkelley

Not only did my ancestors and Kanye's ancestors survive, they managed to make a way to make a new culture, remake family and faith. And in the process, make a culture so formidable that it continues to change the world.

Kelley ended her thread by coming back to West's comments.

✔

@profblmkelley

Slavery wasn't their choice at any step. We know that freedom was always their choice, resistance was their choice when they couldn't escape.

✔

@profblmkelley

Denigrating their lives at this point for attention and spare change is such an embarrassment.

Dancehall professor, Bounty Killer, has formed an alliance with the National Council on Drug Abuse.

An online promotion by the National Council on Drug Abuse features Rodney Price, aka Bounty Killer on their "Talk The Truth" initiative encouraging teens to stay away from smoking and not make the same mistakes he did.

In a documentary released by the National Council on Drug Abuse, Bounty Killer warns a group of teens about the dangers of smoking marijuana. The dancehall deejay in sharing his childhood experiences explained some of the troubles he underwent as a result of using ganja as a teenager.

Bounty Killer also explained that other entertainers can use their celebrity to help raise awareness.

Entertainers Ikaya and Devin Di Dakta recently partnered with National Council on Drug Abuse to promote getting High grades over "hi-grade."

Word on the street is that Rihanna and Popcaan have gotten together for a musical collab.

The Bajan pop star and "Unruly Boss" teamed up for a Dancehall banger that could be featured on RihRih's coming Reggae album and Popcaan's forthcoming project, sources close to the artistes say.

"The Rihanna and Popcaan track is already recorded we just don't know when to release of if it should be featured on her album or his upcoming project," sources say. "One thing for sure is its gonna drop in the next few months and its a certified hit."

Rihanna and Popcaan linked up in Barbados back in December after she went back home for the street renaming ceremony for 'Rihanna Drive' during Barbados Independence Day.

More than 90 people, including one person of interest, were detained on Thursday as the police and military searched for the gunmen involved in Tuesday's mass shootings in Grange Hill, Westmoreland.

Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson said the 94 detainees are being processed.

He said the police are still looking for the men who were listed as wanted on Wednesday.

"Of the list that was put out yesterday with five wanted persons and five persons of interest, one of the persons of interest have turned in themselves, the others haven't. I would encourage the persons on the list to turn themselves in by 6 o'clock this evening...and then obviously, we'll conduct operations to try and find those persons who haven't turned themselves in," he declared.

Police and soldiers raided several communities.

Thirteen alleged gang members linked to murders and shootings in Westmoreland, were also captured in the raids conducted by the security forces as well as the Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC). Assistant Commissioner Fitz Bailey, head of C-TOC, said the police are determined to dismantle criminal gangs in Westmoreland.

"The focus will be looking at the organisation and the network from which they are from. In fact, I will tell you that they are from what we call the Dexter Street gang, these 13 persons... They will be taken into Kingson for further processing," he said.

He said the Dexter Street gang and the rival Darling Street gang have been in a deadly feud over the last year and are responsible for several murders and shootings in the area. An AK-47 rifle and several rounds of ammunition were seized during the operation.

Seventeen people were shot, seven fatally, in Tuesday's attacks. Two children were among the victims.

The Firearm Licensing Authority (FLA) has launched an investigation following the arrest and charge of Peter Abrahams, Councillor for the Bog Walk Division, with negligent use of a firearm.

Abrahams was on Wednesday charged and later offered bail.

He was charged following the seizure of his licensed firearm by the police on Tuesday morning during a spot check on the Bog Walk main road.

It was reportedly discovered in a car in which four men were travelling.

"Once a licence holder is questioned by the police in relation to his licensed firearm, the authority is usually notified by the police and that will cause the authority to investigate the individual to see if the person can continue to be entrusted with a licensed firearm," Shane Dalling, Chief Executive Officer of the FLA, said of the probe of Mr. Abrahams.

The four men who were found in possession of the gun are still being questioned by investigators.

Westmoreland police have listed five men from Grange Hill in the parish as wanted and said the suspects are being asked to turn themselves in to the police by midday Thursday,.

The list was released by the law enforcement officials on Wednesday evening, following the shooting death of seven people including two children in the community.

Listed as 'wanted' are:

- Isaiah Perry, otherwise called 'Matthew Perry' or 'Cat' of Kings Valley, Grange Hill, who is wanted for shooting;

- Richard Hamilton otherwise called 'Brutus' or 'Mad Move', 23-year-old, of Paul Island district, Grange Hill, Westmoreland. He is of dark complexion, slim build and is wanted for murder and other related incidents in the division.

- Haldane Hamilton otherwise called 'Fishy' of Paul Island district, Grange Hill. He is of dark complexion, medium build and about 5 feet 11 inches tall. He is wanted for murder;

- Burton Shearer otherwise called 'Bap', 49-year-old of Church Lincoln district, Grange Hill, Westmoreland. He is of dark complexion, slim build and 5 feet 11 inches tall. He is wanted for murder.

"These men are considered armed and dangerous; as such their whereabouts must be reported to the police immediately through Crime Stop at 311, 811 or the Police 119 emergency number," said the police who released the photos of four of the suspects.

The lawmen are also reminding people that "it is not only an offence to harbour criminals and provide a safe haven for them but it also places the lives of family and friends at increased risks of attack."

A total of seven persons were killed in a number of attacks on communities in and around Grange Hill since Tuesday morning, which the police have linked to a lotto scam.

It is being reported that about 8:30 a policeman pulled his gun on a windscreen wiper and opened fire in Liguanea, putting persons lives at risk and actually hitting an innocent female bystander. Reports are that the woman, who was going about her legal business, and just happened to be in the way of the hot-headed policeman's bullets, picked up three shot. .

The bullet missed the intended target, who was said to be the windscreen wiper, and hit the innocent woman instead.

This morning, windscreen wiper, Christopher Rhoden, told The Gleaner his side of the story.

Rhoden said he approached the man's car and attempted to wipe his windscreen but he would not allow it.

"Him select up him gun, so mi say, 'bossy what dat fah, a wah yuh a go do? Kill mi inna de mawnin ya?' Him say him nah tek no check from no man,".

He said the driver then parked at a gas station, exited the car and chased him.

"Run him a run mi dung now, and select the gun, and fire it ... and it (the bullet) end up in a woman right over deh soh; fi nutten at all," Rhoden alleged.

Schools in Grange Hill, Westmoreland, and surrounding environs were closed early on Wednesday as fear gripped sections of the community following Monday's murderous rampage by gunmen who shot and killed multiple persons and injured several others in separate incidents.

The security forces have blanketed the community and top government and law enforcement officials including National Security Minister, Dr Horace Chang and police commissioner Major General Antony Anderson as well as Member of Parliament Dr Wykeham McNeill, the mayor of savanna-la-mar and the Westmoreland custos are now visiting the area.

The carnage began about 7:30 last night in a section of the community called Sterling when gunmen broke into a house and opened fire on 39-year-old Nadine Rowe and her 12-year-old son Nicoy Bourne, killing them.

Hours later, gunmen invaded a bar in Top Lincoln between 11 o' clock and 12 midnight and unleashed a barrage of gunfire on patrons killing two persons and injuring several others.

Around the same time, men armed with guns carried out a drive-by in Morgan Bridge shooting several persons including Odaine Drummond, who died from his injuries.

A woman had to be rushed to hospital after being accidentally shot by a licensed firearm holder on the grounds of the Sovereign Centre in St Andrew this morning.

Its reported that the gun owner opened fire on a windscreen wiper which hit the woman causing her to fall to the ground.

A medical doctor and bystanders rushed to the scene and assisted the injured woman into a Sports Utility Vehicle and took her to hospital. The woman seemed to have been shoot three times, twice in the abdomen and once in a leg, the doctor surmised.

According to a report in the Gleaner, their newsteam attempted to speak with the alleged shooter, who was accompanied by a policeman, but he refused to answer questions.The shooter was shielded by the policeman, who took him inside Sovereign.

Another policeman reportedly instructed the alleged shooter not to speak.

However, the windscreen wiper, who has been named as Christopher Rhoden, and who was the alleged target of the gunfire, told the newspaper his side of the story.

Rhoden said he approached the man's car and attempted to wipe his windscreen but he would not allow it. The windscreen wiper, Rhoden, is quoted as saying: "Him select up him gun, so mi say, "bossy what dat fah, a wah yuh a go do? Kill mi inna de mawnin ya?", him say him nah tek no check from no man,".

He said the driver then parked at a gas station, exited the car and chased him.

"Run him a run mi dung now, and select the gun, and fire it ... and it (the bullet) end up in a woman right over deh soh; fi nutten at all," Rhoden alleged.

Two male bystanders who alleged that they witnessed the incident echoed Rhoden's account.

"Mi call to the man before the man fire the gun, enuh, an de man still fire the gun. De man is a wicked man. Dem people deh nuh fi have gun. Because mi call to de man, when mi call to the man, the man turn roun and look pon mi!" alleged one of the eyewitnesses.

will.i.am broke down with emotion while discussing Kanye West's recent Twitter tirade during an appearance on Wednesday's episode of Good Morning Britain. He added: 'That statement was one of the most ignorant statements that anybody who came from the hood could ever say about their ancestors, that slavery is a choice. What are you talking about.'

The Voice judge, 43, admitted he 'wanted to cry' when he saw his friend's latest tweet, in which the rapper, 40, claimed slavery was a 'choice'.

In an impassioned rant that garnered plenty of online support, Will claimed Kanye was 'ignorant' and that his remarks were 'harmful', adding that although they were friends, he could no longer recognise Kanye as being the same person.

Kanye has been widely criticised after an appearance on Tuesday's TMZ Live, when he said: 'When you hear about slavery for 400 years ... for 400 years? That sounds like a choice' later reiterating the comment in a series of tweets.

Will hit back at the remarks, admitting: 'That broke my heart, because I thought about my grandma, who was born in 1920, and her connection with her mom who raised her, who was born in the late 1800s.

'And my grandmother's grandma, who was a slave. And when you're a slave, you're owned.

'You don't choose if you're owned. When you're a slave you're deprived of education. That's not choice, that's by force.'

Claiming that Kanye is 'ignorant', he continued: 'So I understand the need to have free thought, but if your thoughts aren't researched, that is just going to hurt those that are still in conditions where it's not choice...

'That when they go down the street and there's a liqueur store and fast-food restaurants and your education is not being funded the same way that it is being in Calabasas, when governments stifle and limit the amount of money that goes to Chicago, Bronx, Watts, 5th Ward Mississippi, East Los Angeles, where I'm from.'

The Greater Portmore and Kingston Central Police are investigating the abduction and killing of a cosmetologist by gunmen two weeks ago.

The cops say 23-year-old Aneika Thompson, a resident of George's Lane in Central Kingston, was abducted when she left home to visit relatives in the Waltham Park Road area.

They say a few days after she was reported missing, residents of Waterford in St. Catherine saw a woman running from a vehicle crying for help.

The woman was shot several times in the head and her body bundled back into the vehicle by armed men.

Crime scene investigators found a pair of slippers at the scene.Relatives of the missing woman have identified the slippers as belonging to Miss Thompson. The cops are awaiting DNA on blood samples taken from the scene for a positive identification.

It is reported that Miss Thompson became a target of gunmen in her community last year after she resisted their advances.

Wisynco Group Limited has withdrawn the legal action it filed against the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) over the public education campaign 'Are You Drinking Yourself Sick'.

It has also agreed to pay the legal costs for the foundation, a non-profit organisation.

Chairman of Wisynco William Mahfood said the decision was made after the heart foundation filed court papers indicating that it had "inadvertently and unintentionally" included the CranWata beverage in a social media post related to the campaign.

Mahfood said the foundation went further to indicate that it has taken the necessary steps to ensure the post was no longer accessible on the Internet and that no other "offending" material related to the beverage would be published.

Lawyers for both sides appeared in the Supreme Court today when, according to Mahfood, his company accepted the sworn statement of the foundation.

Wisynco triggered public backlash last week when The Gleaner first reported that it had filed legal action against the foundation to prevent the non-government organisation from repeating information posted on Instagram last month as part of its campaign to warn Jamaicans about the harmful health effects of excessive sugar intake.

The Jamaican conglomerate asserted the post conveyed inaccurate information about the sugar content in its CranWata beverage and claimed, as a result, that it was defamatory.

A magistrate Monday sentenced a pastor, his wife and daughter to four years in prison after they were found guilty of pouring hot liquid on a man following what they described as a "spiritual warfare" two years ago.

Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett imposed the sentence on Nigel Morgan, his wife Althia, and their 23-year-old daughter, Crystal, following the assault on Cuthbert "Mafia" Victory, which left him with burns to his back, shoulders, chest, and face.

Senior Prosecutor Adolphus Delplesche had argued that the trio had planned the assault on Victory on April 9, 2016.

A video of the incident, which was widely circulated on social media, showed the older Morgans holding Victory while their daughter pours on him what was later revealed to be a hot liquid.

The video was not tendered in evidence, reportedly because police did not secure a deposition from the person who did the recording.

In her defence, Crystal Morgan told the court that she was feeling ill and was about to make a cup of tea when she heard noises that suggested that her parents were under attack.

"I felt as if my soul left my body," she told the Kingstown Magistrate Court even as she acknowledged that she could not recall how she left the kitchen on the upper floor of their two-storey house, to the street, where she poured the hot water on the man.

She told the court that even up to the point of giving evidence she did not know who it was that she had hurt.

In their defence, the older Morgans presented themselves as having been under attack by Victory, a 39-year-old construction worker, who had gone to visit a friend who was the Morgans' neighbour.

However, they admitted in court that they had attempted to use olive oil on the man while praying for him even though he had not requested any spiritual help.

But the state's main witness, Clint Antoine, who was the Morgans' neighbour at the time of the incident, told the court that the pastor and his wife had been engaged in an exchange of words with Victory.

He said during the fracas Morgan placed his hand on the bottle then placed it above Victory's forehead. The witness said Victory swung his hand and Mrs. Morgan held on to him and they began fighting.

Antoine told the court that the trio continued fighting before Victory was subdued by the Morgans and the daughter then poured the contents of a black and silver kettle on him.

Macka Diamond's latest music video for "Prove It" featuring fellow artiste, Spotlight Kunta has set tongues wagging, with many wondering on social media if their collaboration is just musical, or if there is a tad bit more.

The music video tells the tale of reality series which is entitled "Spotlight on the Diamond". This is just soooooo cute.

Anyway, it shows Macka Diamond and Spotlight Kunta all giggly and acting like young lovers.

Macka Diamond is expected to milk this for all the attention that shw could possibly get, so, naturally, she is tight-lipped about the actual staus of her relationsip with Spolight.

Macka keeps fans and haters alike guessing whether or not she is enjoying an intimate relationship with Spotlight Kunta, however,she did reveal that Spotlight Kunta is working on the "Spotlight on the Diamond" reality series.

This is not the first time Macka Diamond has appeared on camera with and Spotlight Kunta, In 2006 Spotlight Kunta was Macka's love interest in the popular song "Bun Him" featuring Black-ER.

Sting and Shaggy's new, island-inspired collaborative album 44/876 is available now at all retailers and digital platforms on A&M/Interscope Records

In creating 44/876, Sting and Shaggy drew from the many surprising connections at the heart of their music. With its title referencing their home country codes, 44/876 first and foremost honors the duo's love for Jamaica: Shaggy's homeland, and the place where Sting penned such classics as The Police's "Every Breath You Take."

Furthering each artist's exploration of reggae and its transcendent rhythms, the lead single "Don't Make Me Wait" - which debuted at #1 on Billboard's digital reggae singles chart - came to life after the musicians were introduced by Martin Kierszenbaum

(Sting's manager, Chairman of The Cherrytree Music Company

and Shaggy's former A&R executive).

The correlating music video, directed by Gil Green, was filmed in Kingston, Jamaica and has garnered over 8.5 million views on YouTube.

Although the initial plan was for Sting to lend his vocals and musical finesse solely to this track, the two discovered that their distinct voices blended with incredible ease. Compelled by their creative synergy, Sting and Shaggy soon amassed an album's worth of material. "Everything about it is organic--it was never planned," says Shaggy of 44/876.

Recording in New York City, they enlisted a lineup of esteemed musicians and writers from Jamaica and New York, including the legendary Robbie Shakespeare of Sly and Robbie, dancehall sensation Aidonia, Morgan Heritage (courtesy of CTBC Music Group), Agent Sasco as well as Branford Marsalis and Sting's longtime guitarist,

Sting and Shaggy will take their collaboration on the road this summer when the two Grammy-award winning artists embark on a European tour of various historic venues, performing their most celebrated hits as well as songs off their new album together.

Fans, critics and fellow musicians have already shown incredible support for 44/876.

Ninjaman is obviously resigned to the fact that he has at least a quarter of a century left behind bars, so, he's doing the only sensible thing - making the best of a bad existence.

Over the weekend, footage surfaced online of the veteran recording artiste allegedly in prison and looking quite upbeat...like nuff tings a gwaan fi him. You woulda never believe say is prison him deh..

The video clips shows Ninjaman, dressed in virginal white and sporting a brand new pair of Desert Clarks. He's saying all sorts of stuff..talking about his appearance and how clean he's looking. UP UP UP Genna

Last December Ninjaman was sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder conviction. He was given was given 25 years at hard labour for the 2009 murder of Ricardo 'Ricky Trooper' Johnson and 20 years for shooting with intent.

Judge Martin Gayle says he must serve at least 25 years in prison before he is eligible to be released.